A few years ago, students crowded CityPlace after school, catching movies, grabbing food, and hanging out with the streets bustling with activity and familiar storefronts. Today, the AMC West Palm Beach 12 movie theater is gone, reduced to rubble as a new building takes its place. Down the street, The Cheesecake Factory has also been replaced by construction. With each new redevelopment project, CityPlace inches further from its past as a student hangout, leaving some to adapt while others spend less time in the area altogether.
“I’ve been going to CityPlace since I was a little kid,” vocal senior Maria Clara Da Fonseca said. “I remember as a kid there was a bowling alley and a Macy’s where the new apartment complex is. It has changed a lot. I’ve definitely noticed it’s become less of a shopping center and more of a business and living area.”
CityPlace’s redevelopment is reshaping it into a hub for business and luxury living, a departure from its former identity as a retail and entertainment space. According to The Palm Beach Post, some areas of CityPlace are being torn down to make way for two new office towers, totaling nearly 1 million square feet. In addition, Related Ross, the company that owns CityPlace, has unveiled plans for a $600 million hospital and the first Equinox Fitness Club in Palm Beach County that is set to open by the end of 2025.
Upscale retail developments are coming to The Laurel, a luxury rental residence. New openings include Alo, a yoga apparel store, Canadian restaurant Moxie’s, and home furnishing store Crate and Barrel, according to WPTV. These developments align with a broader shift toward high-end retail and dining. After school, some students who once hung out with friends in the plaza now scatter in different directions.
“The construction has definitely made CityPlace less of a place to go and have fun and more for those who live there,” digital media sophomore Anastasia Lioubin said. “I have started moving to downtown after school instead of CityPlace because of it.”
At lunch, seniors with off-campus privileges still make their way to CityPlace, but their options are slimmer than before. Where they once had a range of affordable spots to grab a quick meal, they now find “high-end shops,” restaurants, and ongoing construction, as found by CBS12. According to The Palm Beach Post, a spokeswoman for Related Ross‘ CityPlace said they are currently undecided on what will replace The Cheesecake Factory’s former space, claiming they seek options that will “engage the community and its growing needs.”
“The more they take away these places, I feel naturally fewer people will want to go there,” Da Fonseca said. “Hopefully they replace Cheesecake with another restaurant that’s affordable. If I want a snack, I go to Publix, and that’s usually during lunch.”
CityPlace also plans to integrate a Mango Mercado, a culturally focused Indian cuisine restaurant, to “fill a void for grab-n-go and fast-casual ‘where flavor and quality are not sacrificed because it is quick and easy,’” as stated on the CityPlace website.
Despite upperclassmen and those who live in the area remembering what CityPlace used to be, some freshmen are stepping into a space already transformed. They navigate CityPlace as it is now, adjusting to the current options and its applications in their school day routines.
“I live in Boca, so I don’t visit CityPlace except for sometimes if I’m staying after school with friends or for a performance,” communications freshman Trayvan Dor said. “For what it is, it’s good, (but) burgers and coffee get boring.”
Being in walking distance to shops and study spots keeps students like strings sophomore Matthew Stewart returning, even as the space continues to change.
“I can still enjoy myself studying in Starbucks or getting food at BurgerFi,” Stewart said. “But it honestly isn’t the same anymore. Publix is convenient and the scenery is nice, but that’s about it. I walk to Clematis for a few more attractions there.”
As the project of rebuilding CityPlace continues, more additions can be expected to come to the area. However, this may come at the cost of what popular student activities and social hotspots remain. According to CBS 12 News, Vanderbilt University plans to open a graduate business school downtown, focusing on finance, artificial intelligence, and data science.
CBS 12 News found that Ken Himmel, president of Related Ross, has announced his intentions to attract an unnamed Silicon Valley based company, valued at $200 billion, to the area, highlighting the growing interest of tech sectors and signaling a shift towards a more business-focused environment. As for now, despite growing polarization, CityPlace remains a “landmark” in Dreyfoos culture, according to Lioubin, despite the prospect of “losing it” as a go-to for city life.
“It sucks that by the time it’s my senior year, there might not be anything for me to do,” Dor said. “What if they’re still doing construction? I want to go out for lunch and enjoy it like all the other students got to. Some places could still be around or built, (but) I just hope I’ll be there to see them.”
