West Palm Beach commissioners and Mayor Keith James voted unanimously Oct. 13 to reconsider the deadline extension they granted about two weeks earlier giving developer Charles Cohen 17 more months — until January 2029 — to finish West Palm Point, a 25-story office-and-retail complex on the city-owned "tent site" at Okeechobee Boulevard and South Dixie Highway.
The vote does not reverse the extension yet; it opens the door to reversing it or adding tougher conditions. The CRA leased the land to Cohen's company in April 2020 — more than six years later, construction is still in early stages. Mayor James accused the developer's company of repeated "shenanigans," saying he has "no trust in them whatsoever," and the city had already told the group in early 2026 it was in lease violation.
Why it matters
The "tent site" is downtown West Palm's most prominent undeveloped tract, steps from the CityPlace dining district our community watches closely. The outcome shapes downtown jobs and development for years — worth following as the reconsideration date is set.
