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DELRAY BEACH DDA CELEBRATES FOUNDER ROY M. SIMON (1930 - 2024)

Tuesday, August 20, 2024 - 1:39pm

Roy M. Simon, Delray Beach Architect and Founder of the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority, Passed Away Today, August 14, 2024

Delray Beach, Florida – August 14, 2024: The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) is deeply saddened to announce the passing of Roy Simon, a cherished member of the Delray Beach community. Simon, age 93, a longtime architect and founder of the Delray Beach DDA, passed away today, August 14, 2024. Simon, who is also the father of current Executive Director of the DDA, Laura Simon, was surrounded by family.Simon was born in Delray Beach and grew up in Downtown Delray where he attended Delray Beach Elementary School and Delray Beach High School – both of which are now part of Old School Square. He was the grandson and son of Delray Beach pioneers who first settled in Downtown Delray Beach in 1912. Simon, one Delray Beach’s oldest working architects, established his firm in Delray Beach in 1959, providing architectural services in building design, preparation of construction documents, interior design, historic preservation, and more. One of his most notable projects was the recently demolished Atlantic Plaza near Veterans Park, open from 1987 to 2023. He also designed Pompey Park, the original Urban Outfitters building and many of the churches in Delray Beach, such as Trinity Lutheran and St. Vincent’s Catholic Church.

In 1971, Simon founded the Delray Beach DDA in order to grow, strengthen, and enhance the economic vitality of Downtown Delray Beach. His mission was to create parking for visitors and employees in Downtown Delray. He spearheaded the creation of the in-lieu parking program, and he assembled and helped the DDA acquire the majority of the public parking lots in Downtown Delray Beach. Then in 1987, Simon was part of a “task force” created to save the buildings that had once housed Delray Beach Elementary and High School but had since been abandoned by the Palm Beach County School District. Simon, along with Frances Bourque and Ken Simback, had a vision of turning the property into a people-oriented activity center for the arts and culture – one that would revitalize downtown Delray forever – and they called it Old School Square. The task force then officially created the Old School Square Foundation.

Simon was an active member of many boards for Delray Beach and Palm Beach County, including the Code Enforcement Board, Community Appearance Board, Planning and Zoning Board, and Zoning Board of Adjustments. He served as Vice President and two-time President of the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, was a former Trustee and Board Member of the Old School Square Historic Preservation Project, and twice served as Chairman of the Delray Beach DDA. A charter board member and 42-year board member of the Delray Beach Historical Society, he also served as a Trustee since 1977. As a member of the Rotary Club, he earned the “Service Above Self” award.

Simon resided in the Delray Beach Lake Ida neighborhood for more than 65 years and dedicated his life to the growth and vitality of his beloved city. You could find him eating lunch almost every day at his favorite restaurant, the Green Owl and he always honked as he drove past the DDA offices in Downtown Delray on his way home from work. His widow, Beth, who was by his side since 1961, passed away in 2023.

“My father’s passion and commitment to his hometown and, most of all, the DDA is incredible. There was not a day that went by where he did not ask how Downtown Delray and the DDA were doing, along with sharing what we SHOULD be doing to help downtown prosper,” said his daughter Laura Simon who started with the DDA in 2010 after her father’s encouragement. “It is and has been truly an honor and privilege to serve in his footsteps for my hometown.”

 

Photos of Roy Simon, courtesy of the Simon Family: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/otzyyedcito8wnv4e3wub/AFzLHj2DHBXszsv7eVKI58s?rlkey=9dkpz5ni67tu6xug1amcm8kvj&st=cm0splf2&dl=0

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Cornell Art Museum and City of Delray Beach Recognize Earth Month

Tuesday, April 16, 2024 - 4:00pm

The Cornell Art Museum, in collaboration with the City of Delray Beach Sustainability and Resilience Office, is hosting a full day of lectures and presentations in honor of Earth Month on Saturday, April 20.



Topics will include Florida Habitat Restoration, Florida Corals, Plastics and Sea Turtles, Home Energy Ratings, Building Performance, Climate Action Planning and more. All events are free, open to the public and will take place at the Cornell Art Museum in Old School Square (51 N. Swinton Avenue, Delray Beach). Earth Day is officially celebrated on April 22.



WHEN: Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Full schedule of events is as follows:



10:15 AM - Florida Habitat Restoration - Speaker: George Gann, Executive Director, Institute for Regional Conservation



* Native ecosystems in cities like Delray Beach are resources to be protected, treasured, and restored. They are also key to preventing extinctions of native plants and animals and increasing resilience in the face of climate change. Learn how Delray Beach is restoring native habitats for the future and how you too can restore nature at home or work. Healthy urban ecosystems are resilient urban ecosystems that will provide myriad ecosystem services for people and nature far into the future.



11:15 AM - Plastics and Sea Turtles: Unraveling the Tangled Threat - Speaker: Heather Seaman, M.Sc., Florida Atlantic University PhD. Student



* Dive deep into the heart of our oceans, where an invisible crisis unfolds, threatening the very fabric of marine life. In this compelling talk, we unravel the tale of how our seemingly insatiable appetite for plastic has led to an environmental conundrum, casting a shadow over the majestic sea turtles. With plastic production hitting astonishing highs and showing no signs of slowing down, our oceans have become a minefield for sea turtles. Mistaking plastic for prey, these creatures are ingesting deadly meals that lead to gut compaction, perforation, and a silent, toxic assault from chemical leaching. Sea turtles are not the only ones in danger, due to the widespread presence of plastics in the environment.



12:15 PM - Florida Corals and You - Speaker: Charis Peterson, Coral Biologist, Education Coordinator, The Reef Institute



* This talk will explain what is happening to coral in Florida, why it should matter to the average person, and what we are doing to fix the problem.



1:15 PM - How many MILES PER GALLON does your HOME get? or How I stopped worrying and learned to LOVE the SCIENCE - Speaker: Christian Chitester, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Delray Beach



* An introduction to the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) ratings and the fundamentals of resilience through energy efficiency in homes. Learning objectives include…What is a HERS rating and what does it tell you about your home? Where does your home use and lose energy? How is a home’s performance tested? What does this mean to you and your community, and why should you care?



2:15 PM - Introduction to Building Performance Benchmarking and EPA Portfolio Manager - Speaker: Christian Chitester, Sustainability Coordinator, City of Delray Beach



* In this presentation we will explore the concept of building performance benchmarking and its significance in enhancing energy efficiency



3:15 PM - Climate Action Planning: Raising Awareness and Gathering Public Input - Speaker: Kent Edwards, Sustainability Officer, City of Delray Beach



* The effects of climate change are already impacting Delray Beach. We are experiencing, hotter days for a longer part of the day and night; more frequent extremely heavy rainfall events; and more of the hurricanes that form are reaching a high category. This is a local and global issue, and there are things we can do to prepare our community and address the global issue. This session will discuss climate planning in the south Florida region, including main topical areas used in climate action plans.



For more information regarding Earth Month, please visit: https://delrayoldschoolsquare.com/events/city-of-delray-beach-earth-month and https://www.delraybeachfl.gov/services/advanced-components/basic-pages/calendar-month-view.

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Cornell Art Museum Showcases New Emoji Art Exhibition

Monday, March 25, 2024 - 4:03pm

The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) announced the opening of the Cornell Art Museum’s newest art exhibition: "Emotional Intelligence: Sculpting the Language of the Digital Age" by Matthew LaPenta. The exhibition, featured in the Cornell Art Museum’s Spotlight Gallery, will be on view April 5 to June 30, 2024 and is free and open to the public.



To celebrate its arrival, the museum is hosting an Opening Reception during First Friday Art Walk on Friday, April 5 from 6 to 9 p.m. The free event will feature a meet and greet with LaPenta, live music and refreshments.



“The Cornell Art Museum at Old School Square strives to present high-quality, diverse and inclusive art for all ages,” said Marusca Gatto, the DDA’s Cultural Arts Director. “In showcasing this exhibition, we are sparking an important conversation on society’s use of emojis to communicate more effectively. By using these internationally recognized symbols, our emotions, thoughts and intentions are more easily understood by our intended audience.”



For the last 10 years, LaPenta has reimagined emojis in the enduring medium of bronze, creating a captivating dialogue between technology and tradition. He invites viewers to contemplate the evolving ways we convey feelings in an increasingly interconnected world. His one to five foot sculptures celebrate the universality of emotions and also serve as a reflection of our changing cultural landscape, where digital symbols take on physical form, preserving their significance for generations to come. He has shown his work across the U.S., as well as in Canada, England, Italy, and Japan.



“While experimenting with digital symbols in other mediums, I realized there was this whole other language of emojis that had yet to be recorded in a meaningful way,” said LaPenta.” Seamlessly merging modern communication with timeless artistic craftsmanship, LaPenta’s bronze sculptures transcend the digital realm, offering a tangible representation of the emotions and expressions that have become integral to contemporary human interaction. “If you think back to ancient times and the use of hieroglyphics,” added LaPenta, “we have been using iconography as language for over 5,000 years, and there is a universal significance to that.”



The exhibition is ideal for guests of all ages. The Cornell Art Museum is free and open to the public. Hours are: Wednesday 12-5PM; Thursday & Friday 12-7PM; Saturday 10AM-5PM; and Sunday 12-5PM.



Connect with the artist on Instagram @matthewlapenta. For purchase, please contact Matthew at thelapenta@gmail.com.



For a full list of events happening at the Cornell Art Museum, visit https://delrayoldschoolsquare.com/cornell or call 561-654-2220.

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Twilight Concert Series Continues at Old School Square in Delray Beach

Monday, March 18, 2024 - 4:07pm

The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) has announced two new FREE Twilight Concerts at the Amphitheatre at Old School Square (51 N Swinton Ave) in Delray Beach. Held on the last Thursday of the month, the Twilight Concerts features artists from varying musical genres including pop, country, rock n’ roll, reggae and much more.



Upcoming FREE Twilight Concerts include:



• Thursday, March 28, 2024 from 6 – 9 p.m.: FREE Concert featuring LOVESONG: The Cure Tribute. LOVESONG is a nationally touring tribute to The Cure with a full concert experience filled with the songs and video elements that pay tribute to Robert Smith and the legacy of the band and music. The venue opens at 6 p.m. Music from 6:30 to 9 p.m.



• Thursday, April 25, 2024 from 6 – 9 p.m.: FREE Concert featuring Hot Brass. Hot Brass, featuring Debbie Pierce, is an Earth Wind, & Fire and Chicago Tribute Band. The high energy 8-10 piece band features music from the supergroup Earth, Wind, & Fire with songs from the 2004 Chicago/Earth, Wind, & Fire World Tour. The venue opens at 6 p.m. Music from 7:30 to 9 p.m.



The DDA invites everyone – rain or shine – to bring lawn chairs and their dancing shoes and enjoy a night of fun and free entertainment with some of the best regional/national bands! Guests are encouraged to bring takeout meals and snacks from local restaurants or purchase food and drinks from the local vendors featured onsite. There is no outside alcohol allowed; refreshments will be available at the onsite pavilion.



For more information and to see a full list of events at Old School Square, please visit: https://delrayoldschoolsquare.com/events.

 
 
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Reservations Open Feb. 1 for Highly Anticipated Dining Event on Atlantic Ave in Downtown Delray Beach-‘Savor the Avenue’

Monday, January 29, 2024 - 3:09pm

The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority (DDA) announced today that reservations open this Wednesday, February 1, 2024 for its highly anticipated dining event, Savor the Avenue. Savor The Avenue, which is held annually in Downtown Delray Beach, invites locals and visitors alike to dine on some of the best food that Downtown Delray Beach has to offer, under the stars, in the middle of iconic Atlantic Avenue. This year’s event, which will stretch from Swinton Avenue to East Fifth Avenue, takes place on Monday, March 25, 2024, from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.



Savor the Avenue diners will enjoy a four-course meal from their choice of one of sixteen local Downtown Delray Beach restaurants. For 2024, participating restaurants include Avalon Steak and Seafood with sister restaurant Campi Italian, Cabana El Rey, Caffe Luna Rosa, City Oyster, Costa By Ok&M, Elisabetta’s, Le Colonial, Lemongrass, Lionfish, Rocco’s Tacos, Rose’s Daughter with sister restaurant Brulé, Salt 7, Vic and Angelo’s, and The Wine Room.



“Savor the Avenue is one of our most highly anticipated events each year and is one of the highlights of the season for people who love living in and visiting Downtown Delray Beach,” said Laura Simon, Executive Director of the Delray Beach DDA. “The opportunity to dine and enjoy some of the most delicious food in South Florida while sitting in the middle of Delray’s most iconic street just can’t be missed!”



The event is reservation-only and sells out quickly. Reservations open on February 1, 2024, and must be booked directly with the participating restaurants. Prices vary and are set by the restaurant; please check with the restaurant when booking. To learn more about Savor the Avenue and view the restaurant menus, please visit to https://downtowndelraybeach.com/savortheave.



In addition to the food and beverage showcase, participating restaurants also compete for the “Best in Show” table. From elegant to eclectic, each restaurant stages a unique theme through its table settings that showcases its special style or cuisine. Guests are encouraged to arrive early and walk Atlantic Avenue to view the beautifully decorated tables. Last year, SALT7 took home the grand prize, while Rocco’s Tacos and Rack’s Farmhouse took second and third place, respectively.



Savor the Avenue is produced by the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority, Boca Magazine and Delray Magazine. A portion of proceeds from the event goes to ‘Eat Better, Live Better’ a Delray Beach-based nonprofit that provides healthy and balanced food to local families.

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