Downtown Boynton Beach
One of the first community redevelopment agencies (CRAs) in Palm Beach County was established by the City of Boynton Beach in 1982 “to breathe new life into the downtown area.” Initially responsible for 180 acres east of Federal Highway (US 1), the agency’s district was later expanded to 1,650 acres along the east side of the city. The CRA produced redevelopment plans with the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC) in 1983, 1994, and 2001, and worked again with the community to create the Downtown Vision and Master Plan, revised in 2009.
Part of the city’s revitalization effort was the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center at 129 East Ocean Avenue. The six-room schoolhouse was built in 1913, operated as an elementary school until 1989, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994. The City of Boynton Beach owns the property and paid $900,000 for its renovation; it opened as a children’s museum in 2001 to educate the public about local history. The city also provides operating funds, while nonprofit Boynton Cultural Centre, Inc. handles fundraising and management, often in partnership with the city library. For four consecutive years, South Florida Parenting magazine honored the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum as the Best Children’s Museum in Palm Beach County.