Delray Beach is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, USA. As of
the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,020. As of 2004,
the population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau is 64,150.
In recent years, Downtown Delray, located in the eastern part of the
city, along Atlantic Avenue, east of I-95 and stretching to the beach,
has undergone a large scale renovation. This area is now home to several
upscale restaurants and several different assorted shops. Major driving
factors in this renovation have been the business brought to the area
by the Delray Beach Tennis Center, which has hosted several major
international tennis events such as the April 2005 Fed Cup (USA vs.
Belgium), the April 2004 Davis Cup (USA vs. Sweden), the Millennium ITC
(ATP Event), and the Chris Evert / Bank of America Pro Celebrity.
Concurrent with the new construction of the Tennis Center, several local
historic landmark structures were renovated during the last decade of
the 20th century. These include Old School Square, formerly Delray
Elementary School and Delray High School, since turned into a thriving
cultural center; and the Colony Hotel. Old School Square comprises the
Crest Theatre, a venue for the performing arts, in the former High
School building; the 1925 Gymnasium, restored to maintain its
appearance, which has since become a popular venue for local events such
as wedding receptions and dances; the Cornell Museum of Art and
History, built in the restored Elementary School; and a recently
constructed outdoor entertainment pavilion, which serves as a venue for
musical performances and has also been used for events such as political
rallies. More recently, the historic home of teacher/principal Solomon
D. Spady was renovated and turned into the Spady Cultural Heritage
Museum. The Spady Museum houses a black archives and hosts exhibits and
programs designed to recognize the efforts of blacks who were
instrumental in shaping Delray Beach and Palm Beach County.
Atlantic Community High School was rebuilt in 2005 on a different
site from the previous school, a plan which was met with much
contention.
Other notable recent Delray Beach projects are:
- Expansion of the South County Courthouse, which has more than
doubled in size and will potentially hold jury trials in the future.
- New Delray Beach Public Library building, which is adjacent to
the South County Courthouse and also share a high-capacity parking
garage facility.
