Outlet mall no longer wants to share cost for new WPB trolley line

At a time when West Palm Beach is working hard to encourage alternate modes of transportation, the city's newest alternative may get the ax because one of its funding partners no longer wants to pay for it.

Last year a new trolley line connecting downtown, Northwood Village and the Palm Beach Outlet Mall began as a six-month trial.

The new Blue Line route was funded by three partners. The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) paid approximately $60,000 because the new line ran through Northwood Village, a longtime CRA focal point. The Downtown Development Authority (DDA) contributed approximately $30,000 because the trolleys offered a new downtown transit option. Finally, the Palm Beach Outlet Mall also paid approximately $30,000 because the new line brought shoppers from other parts of the city.

During the six-month trial period, the new route proved very successful, and all three partners seemed ready to extend the agreement. But just before the CRA was to approve the extension, the Palm Beach Outlet Mall said it didn't want to continue to pay for the trolley - at least not during the summer.

According to city officials, the mall doesn't want to pay for the trolley during the summer. But the mall also said that in the fall the mall would be able to find money once again.

Some were noticeably skeptical.

"I am more fearful over the fact that, are they suffering? That they can't do this," asked City Commissioner Shanon Materio.

"Their business is great, commissioner," replied CRA Executive Director Jon Ward. "This is not because their business is bad"

"They apparently don't need people shopping there over the summer because they don't care how people get there," added Materio.

"Thirty thousand dollars for an organization of that size is not a lot of money, and I venture to say there is more to this decision than what meets the surface," said City Commissioner Paula Ryan.

Meanwhile, the idea of having the CRA and the DDA cover the mall's share over the summer was also met with skepticism.

"I can see how this is going to play out," said City Commissioner Keith James. "We are going to end up paying over the summer, and then they are going to say 'Well why should we pay anything? You guys clearly can find room in your budget to provide this service since you did it all summer."

"If they are not a good enough corporate citizen to step up to the plate for what they are clearly benefitting from, I am concerned," added James.

The CRA and the DDA plan to spend the next two weeks trying to convince the mall to reconsider, while also looking at other alternatives.