Palm Beach County Proposes Major Tourism Projects

Plans include a sports complex, convention center expansion, and immersive entertainment venue.

Apr. 6, 2026 at 11:06pm

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A highly stylized, geometric illustration in the Art Deco style, featuring sweeping gradients and towering architectural forms, conceptually representing the grand scale and visionary nature of Palm Beach County's proposed tourism projects.Palm Beach County's ambitious plans for new sports, convention, and entertainment venues aim to cement its status as a premier tourism destination.Palm Beach Today

Palm Beach County is announcing several major tourism projects, including a new state-of-the-art multipurpose indoor sports complex, an expansion of the Palm Beach County Convention Center, and a one-of-a-kind digital art or immersive entertainment venue. The county is also looking to partner with Miami-Dade and Broward Counties to attract tourists during major international sporting events.

Why it matters

These proposed projects aim to elevate Palm Beach County as a top tourism destination, building on the record 10.7 million visitors the area saw last year. The new facilities and events could drive significant economic activity and business growth in the region.

The details

The sports complex would accommodate a variety of indoor sports like volleyball, basketball, and gymnastics, designed to work seamlessly with nearby hotels and restaurants. The convention center expansion would incorporate surrounding assets like Howard Park, and the county is already negotiating for a second hotel to accommodate anticipated tourism growth. The digital art or immersive entertainment venue would be similar to attractions like Meow Wolf in Denver or the Sphere in Las Vegas, fully surrounding audiences with digital experiences.

  • Palm Beach County saw a record 10.7 million visitors in 2025.
  • The Tourist Development Council is currently researching cost, impact, and possible locations for each concept, with findings to be presented to county commissioners in June 2026.

The players

Palm Beach County

The local government entity proposing the major tourism projects.

Tourist Development Council

The council announcing and researching the proposed tourism projects.

Joseph Abruzzo

The Palm Beach County Administrator explaining the county's interest in bidding for the NFL's new professional flag football league.

Joel Flores

A Palm Beach County Commissioner suggesting ways to market the Glades region to visitors.

Marci Woodward

A Palm Beach County Commissioner emphasizing the importance of keeping tourism dollars in the local economy.

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What they’re saying

“I don't believe the board was aware the NFL was soliciting bids for pro flag football. By the way, that's incredible because it's also both female and male pro leagues. We are obviously out of market for the major sport leagues; NFL, NBA, MLB. This is our one chance to actually go for a true sport league. It is my full directive that from a staff perspective we compile all information in relevant meetings to make sure we are in line to have a credible bid to bring the NFL pro flag here to Palm Beach County.”

— Joseph Abruzzo, Palm Beach County Administrator

“I think any time you bring professional sporting into an area you're going to drive a lot of businesses that follow it.”

— Jason Simone, Visitor from Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

“I think it could definitely bring a lot of money into the areas and families.”

— Debra

“People are coming — why don't we give them the opportunity to market Palm Beach County for us?”

— Joel Flores, Palm Beach County Commissioner

“If people are going to come and spend money, let's keep as much of that right here as we can.”

— Marci Woodward, Palm Beach County Commissioner

What’s next

The Tourist Development Council will present their findings on the proposed tourism projects to county commissioners in June 2026.

The takeaway

These ambitious tourism projects demonstrate Palm Beach County's commitment to elevating its status as a premier destination, leveraging its natural assets, growing visitor numbers, and keeping tourism dollars circulating in the local economy.