Support ER Bradleys

For 42 years, E.R. Bradley’s Saloon has been more than a restaurant  it has been a gathering place on the West Palm Beach waterfront, a fixture of downtown life, and a small business that has employed hundreds of our neighbors. Named in tribute to one of Palm Beach County’s “Great Floridians,” Bradley’s is woven into the fabric of who we are.

That legacy is now at risk.

A proposed waterfront park, advanced in partnership with developer Related Ross, would replace the block that E.R. Bradley’s currently occupies. The restaurant’s owners have reported being pressured for months to sell, and have stated publicly that they were threatened with eminent domain. While the Mayor has since indicated that eminent domain is “likely off the table,” no binding commitment has been made, negotiations remain ongoing, and no final park plan has been shared with the public.

We, the undersigned, are asking Mayor Keith James and the City of West Palm Beach to:

    1.    Publicly and permanently rule out the use of eminent domain against E.R. Bradley’s Saloon or any other small business on the downtown waterfront.

    2.    Reject any redevelopment plan that displaces E.R. Bradley’s or requires it to relocate against the owners’ wishes.

    3.    Commit to a transparent, public process with published plans, noticed hearings, and genuine community input  before any waterfront redevelopment agreement is finalized.

    4.    Prioritize the preservation of locally owned, legacy businesses in any future vision for the Flagler Drive waterfront.

Public parks and private investment can both have a place in West Palm Beach’s future. But they should not come at the cost of a 42-year-old family-built institution, and they should not be negotiated behind closed doors under the shadow of eminent domain.