Currie Park, the 13-acre waterfront park at 2400 North Flagler Drive, is set to reopen in spring 2027. That's the date the City of West Palm Beach posts on its Currie Park Redesign project page, along with a price tag of $35.5 million and a groundbreaking date of May 6, 2025. The boat ramps and parking lot have been closed since September 2, 2025, as WPTV reported when the closure was announced. That makes more than a year of rerouted launches for north-end boaters.
The spring date is only the first step, though. Five pieces of the plan sit outside the construction contract: the waterfront restaurant, the boardwalk, the splash pad, a $725,000 public artwork and the organization that will run the park day to day. Each one is waiting on a separate vote, grant or contract, and none of them has a completion date tied to the spring reopening.
What the Spring 2027 Date Actually Covers
The city calls spring 2027 the "anticipated first phase reopening." In May, city leaders told commissioners the official opening was tentatively set for March, with a second phase of construction done in September. The Palm Beach Post reported that timeline, and the paper repeated it in a July 21 drone update. The planned features include an amphitheater, docks, a playground, a kayak launch, and pickleball and tennis courts. The city hasn't published which of those open in March and which arrive with the September phase.
Funding comes from several sources. According to WPTV, the city named the 2020 Parks Bond, a $16.7 million grant from FloridaCommerce, additional state and federal grants, and contributions from the Community Redevelopment Agency.
Lantana-based West Construction posted its most recent progress update on its project site, dated October 15, 2026. Here's the work it described:
- Grading and fill across the park to prepare for new sidewalks, curbs and planted areas
- Foundations for light poles and electrical pedestals, plus more underground conduit
- Irrigation in the south parking lot
- Next shoreline phase: more riprap, seawall cap construction and concrete steps down to the water
- Framing, electrical rough-in, metalwork and ductwork on the Community Hub, the events pavilion
- Demolition of the old park entrance to make room for the new layout
Five Pieces, Five Separate Next Steps
| Piece | Where it stands | What has to happen next |
|---|---|---|
| Core park and boat ramps | Under construction | Spring 2027 first-phase reopening |
| Sea Salt Beach House restaurant | Operator selected | Lease approved by the City Commission, then an estimated 18-month build |
| Boardwalk and splash pad | Not in the first build | Grants and donations to pay for them |
| Davina Semo public artwork | $725,000 approved August 3, 2026 | Final design returns to the commission |
| Park governance and operator | Nonprofit model proposed | Board formed, operator chosen, funding source settled |
The Restaurant Can't Start Building Until a Lease Is Approved
The biggest change to the waterfront is also the furthest off. In June, a city panel picked Miami-based Breakwater Hospitality Group to build and run a 378-seat restaurant called Sea Salt Beach House. Stet News reported the project at $18.7 million. The proposal pairs seafood-focused full-service dining with casual meals and takeout. It also includes outdoor seating and a 328-seat ballroom on the second floor, which Breakwater pitched for weddings, corporate and nonprofit events, and community meetings. Breakwater built The Wharf Miami and The Wharf Fort Lauderdale and runs JohnMartin's Irish Pub & Restaurant in Coral Gables.
Being selected only gave Breakwater the right to negotiate. Stet News reported that the final contract must be approved by the City Commission. The company proposed $150,000 a year in base rent plus 3% of gross revenue over $10 million, and asked for a 30-year lease with two 15-year extensions. Those were the terms in the proposal, and the final lease could differ. In its July 17 report, the Post said the two sides were still negotiating and that "the restaurant will be built at a later date."
Breakwater estimated about 18 months of construction. That clock doesn't start until the lease is approved. So even if the lease came up for a vote this fall, a restaurant finished in the same season the park reopens would be unlikely. The proposal also lists a family play area, a grab-and-go kiosk and year-round programming, according to the Post's summary of Breakwater's own description. Some of the park's day-to-day activity will depend on that timeline as well.
The Boardwalk and Splash Pad Are Waiting on Grants
Two features from the original plan won't be part of the first build. City administrators told commissioners in May that they lacked the money for a boardwalk and a splash pad and were looking for grants and donations to cover them. Chris Roog, executive director of the CRA, told the commission, "We're not going to let up on finding dedicated funding for those amenities we promised the community," according to the Palm Beach Post.
Grant-funded features don't come with a construction date. When the park reopens, the boardwalk and splash pad will still be unfunded unless a grant or donation comes through first.
Who Runs the Park Will Decide What Happens There
This decision will affect daily life at the park more than any amenity. In May, the city laid out a model in which a management company would run Currie Park under the oversight of a nonprofit. The city would keep ownership and appoint the nonprofit's 11-member board, which would include residents, business leaders and nearby property owners. A city spokesperson told the Post the plan "is not a privatization of Currie Park." The city has done this before. The Park, its renovated municipal golf course, opened in 2023 and is run by an organization tied to PGA of America.
The CRA's adopted 2027 strategic finance plan for the Northwood/Pleasant City district says the same thing in more detail. It calls for a "programming and governance structure that is independent of the City's Park system," built on a placemaking plan from Biederman Redevelopment Ventures. The governing board would include city residents, District 1 residents, business owners and the District 1 city commissioner. Biederman's firm runs Bryant Park in New York City and Salesforce Park in San Francisco. It has been named as a possible operator here but hasn't been selected.
That structure will shape what the park feels like. City leaders estimated an initial annual budget of $1.9 million and floated a mix of free and paid activities such as yoga and art classes, fishing programs, live music and toddler story times.
"We'd like to see, even at off hours, close to 1,000 people there."
Dan Biederman, a city consultant on the project, made that comment to commissioners, as reported by the Palm Beach Post.
To pay for that level of activity, the city has looked at creating a special taxing district that could add a property tax on parcels in the surrounding neighborhoods. It's still only a proposal. City Commission and CRA agendas from August through mid-October 2026 show no vote to create the nonprofit, hire an operator or establish the district. On September 14, the CRA board approved its district-wide FY2027 budget and an amendment to its strategic finance plan, and neither one set up any of those three. No boundaries, rate or hearing dates have been published, and the city posts its commission and CRA agendas on its agenda page.
The Art Commission and the Northwood Road Link
On August 3, 2026, the City Commission approved $725,000 from the Art in Public Places capital reserve on its consent calendar. The money commissions artist Davina Semo to create a permanent, site-specific work for Currie Park, and it covers design, materials, insurance and installation. The resolution text says the final design will come back to the commission for approval at a future date.
The park's new layout also points toward Northwood. The CRA plan calls for the new park entrance to line up directly with Northwood Road, so that the road can eventually extend to connect the District at Northwood site to the park. The CRA says it will work with the landowner to get the road built "over the next five years." In its October 15 update, West Construction reported that demolition of the existing entrance had begun to make way for the redesigned layout.
The site was originally called Bethesda Park and was deeded to the city in 1920 by George Graham Currie, a former West Palm Beach mayor.
Until the ramps reopen, WPTV lists Jim Barry Light Harbor Park, Phil Foster Park and Bryant Park in Lake Worth Beach as the nearby public boat launches. The tennis courts stay open from the Flagler Drive side. For more on what's changing around the city, see our West Palm Beach neighborhood guide and our look at how the GreenMarket picks its vendors.
If you own a home along the North Flagler corridor or in Northwood and want to see where it stands as the park comes back, The Schilling Team is following each of these decisions and would be glad to walk you through it. Start with a free instant home valuation.
