The Square, West Palm Beach facts for kids
The Square (then Rosemary Square) at night, July 2020
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| Location | West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. |
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| Coordinates | 26°42′30″N 80°03′24″W / 26.708442°N 80.056534°W |
| Address | 700 South Rosemary Avenue |
| Opening date | October 27, 2000 |
| Developer | The Palladium Co. |
| Management | The Related Companies, L. P. |
| Owner | The Related Companies, L. P. |
| Architect | Elkus/Manfredi Architects, Ltd. |
| No. of stores and services | 60+ |
| No. of anchor tenants | 4 (3 open, 1 vacant) |
| Total retail floor area | 600,000 square feet (56,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
The Square is a popular outdoor shopping and entertainment area in downtown West Palm Beach, Florida. It used to be known as Rosemary Square and before that, CityPlace. It's a special kind of place called a "lifestyle center," which means it has shops, restaurants, and homes all in one spot.
The buildings at The Square look like they belong in the Mediterranean or Venice, Italy. This large area, about 600,000-square-foot (56,000 m2), has more than 60 restaurants and stores. You can also find apartments, condos, and offices here.
The Square first opened in October 2000. Many people say it helped make downtown West Palm Beach a much better place. Before The Square, this part of the city wasn't very lively, with many empty buildings.
Some of the main stores and attractions at The Square include AMC Parisian 20 and IMAX (a movie theater), LA Fitness (a gym), and Publix (a grocery store). There used to be a Macy's department store, but it closed in 2017. Other popular spots are Cheesecake Factory, Brio Tuscan Grille, Sloan's Ice Cream, and Starbucks. Besides shopping and eating, The Square is a fun place for entertainment in West Palm Beach. It's also close to other cool places like Clematis Street.
You can easily walk from The Square to the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts and the Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. School of the Arts. The Palm Beach County Convention Center is also nearby. There's even an old-fashioned trolley that takes people around downtown, connecting The Square and Clematis Street.
Contents
A Look Back: How The Square Began
From Empty Lots to a Lively Place
In the 1980s, downtown West Palm Beach wasn't a very good place to be. There were many empty or run-down buildings. People didn't feel safe, and local leaders worried about the future of the area.
In 1986, two private investors, David C. Paladino and Henry J. Rolfs, had a big idea. They wanted to spend $433 million over 20 years to make the western part of downtown new again. This area is where The Square is now. Their plan, called Uptown/Downtown, included lots of office space, shops, hotel rooms, and homes.
Paladino and Rolfs bought and cleared land across 77 acres (31 ha). They removed more than 300 buildings. One special building they kept was the historic First United Methodist Church, built in 1926. This church later became the Harriet Himmel Theater. The investors also gave 5 acres (2.0 ha) of land for the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, which opened in 1992.
However, by the early 1990s, their project stopped. There were money problems and lawsuits. So, in 1995, the city of West Palm Beach, led by Mayor Nancy Graham, bought the land. They used a special process called "eminent domain," which allows the government to buy private land for public use, even if the owner doesn't want to sell.
In 1996, the city looked at three new ideas for the area. One of these ideas was called CityPlace. This plan included keeping the old church and building many stores, a movie theater, restaurants, offices, and homes.
The city leaders chose the CityPlace plan in October 1996. It was a $375 million project. The plan included a large movie theater, many restaurants, fancy stores, apartments, and office buildings. The city agreed to spend $75 million to build streets, parking garages, and public spaces.
Construction on CityPlace began on May 1, 1998. Everyone hoped it would be finished by November 1999. But it actually opened a bit later, in October 2000.
Growing and Changing Over Time
CityPlace officially opened its doors on October 27, 2000. On the first weekend, 31 stores and 1 restaurant were ready for visitors. Many more shops and places to eat opened in the following months. The first main stores at CityPlace were Barnes & Noble, Macy's, and the Muvico Parisian 20 and IMAX movie theater. A grocery store called Wild Oats Markets was also planned, but it had problems. Later, Publix took its place and opened in January 2002.
Over the years, CityPlace changed what kind of stores it wanted. At first, it aimed for very high-end shops. Then, during a time when many people were buying homes, it focused on furniture stores. Later, especially during an economic slowdown, it brought in more restaurants and entertainment places.
In January 2017, the Macy's store at CityPlace closed, along with many other Macy's stores across the country. The old Macy's building was later used for a special exhibit called "Downton Abbey: The Exhibition." In 2018, plans were approved to turn the building into a 21-story apartment building with hundreds of new homes.
In April 2019, CityPlace got a new name: "Rosemary Square." This was part of a big plan to make the area even better. The owners planned to spend almost $550 million on new restaurants, a luxury apartment tower, a new hotel, and an office building. Some of the asphalt roads were changed into nice walking areas with gray and white stones.
Then, in 2021, Rosemary Square changed its name again. It became simply "The Square." Its website and all its signs were updated to show the new name.
What Makes The Square Special?
The Square is a great example of "New Urbanism." This is a way of designing cities that brings homes, shops, and offices close together. It makes it easy for people to walk around and enjoy the area. Most of the buildings at The Square look like old European architecture, especially from the Mediterranean region and Venice.
The Harriet Himmel Theater is right in the middle of The Square. It used to be a church, built in 1926. It has been beautifully restored and is now a cultural center where events and shows take place. Around the theater, you'll find pretty squares, covered walkways, and open spaces with water fountains and lovely plants.
Main Stores and Fun Spots
Here are some of the main attractions at The Square:
- AMC Parisian 20 and IMAX: A large movie theater, about 92,000 square feet (8,500 m2).
- Publix: A grocery store, about 24,000 square feet (2,200 m2).
- LA Fitness: A fitness center or gym.
- Restoration Hardware: A home furnishings store.
Past Favorites
Some places that used to be at The Square include:
- FAO Schwarz: A famous toy store that closed in 2004. Its space is now home to Panera Bread and Taverna Opa.
- Barnes & Noble Booksellers: A bookstore that is now closed. The space became LA Fitness.
- Muvico Parisian 20 and IMAX: The movie theater that later became AMC Theatres in 2017.
- Macy's: A large department store that closed in 2017 and was later taken down in 2019.
Images for kids
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Live entertainment on a weekend night
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The street entrance to the Harriet Himmel Theater and Christ Fellowship
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The back of the theater, featuring an entertainment stage where the show takes takes place.
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Macy's, one of the anchors of CityPlace that closed.
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CityPlace (Jan. 2009)
