Famed Jazz Club Set for Much Needed Face-Lift

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — In the shadows of high-rise condos that line downtown West Palm Beach, sits the Sunset Cocktail Lounge, a venue that once attracted jazz legends like Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, and Ella Fitzgerald.

Since its heyday in the 40s and 50s, the Sunset Cocktail Lounge has struggled to maintain in West Palm Beach’s Historic NorthWest that has long been victim to poverty, drugs, and violence. But the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency has big plans for the famed lounge.

Purchased by the city in 2016, reviving the Sunset Lounge has been a major focus point for officials.

City Commissioner Richard Ryles, who’s district includes Historic Northwest, is on board for a community revival, however, he, and members of the community want it done the right way.

Plans to restore the lounge and its surrounding area have been in talks for over a decade, yet not much has been done. One issue seemed to be the communities trust in the CRA and recently resigned CRA director Jon Ward. “I think going forward, the real problem is trust and transparency,” said Ryles during a recent city council meeting. “Is the cart leading the horse or is the horse leading the cart? Mr. Ward would listen, but I don’t think he heard.”

Ward, who resigned as CRA director early this month, had worked on the project for six years and hit many road blocks along the way. But the plan to revive the Sunset Lounge and build an adjacent “Heart and Soul Park” is well underway, following a resolution passed to begin construction in February.

The lounge will feature a newly designed restaurant and bar with its traditional second-floor ballroom, the adjacent park will provide a space for events, benches and shade trees, and local art. A series Shotgun style houses are set to be constructed across from the park as an art community that for now is being called “Heritage Alley.”

This, however, brought up another concern that Commissioner Ryles and residents addressed at last week’s council meeting. Around a dozen members of the Northwest community showed out to the meeting to bring forth their disapproval with the name Heritage Alley, as they felt the word “alley,” carried a negative connotation that they do not want in their community.

Some residents suggested that the name pay homage to the original owners of the club, Dennis and Thelma Starks. City officials agreed as Commissioner Ryles motioned to delete the name “Heritage Alley” from the original resolution and replace it with “TBD,” suggesting the name be changed to “Starks Way.”

While the project is estimated to cost around $12 million, steeper than originally projected, officials remain hopeful that the Sunset Lounge and Northwest projects remain pivotal to reviving a community that has seen decades of decay. Commissioner Ryles, and fellow commissioners feel that the project need not be rushed as they want it to serve in the best interest of those that live within the community and not of Ward or the CRA.

“The community is not going to sit idly by,” said Ryles, “while this outsider imposes his fantastical views of what this community is.”