Delray is ending a water deal unused for roughly 14 years
Plus Joe & the Juice picks Delray Place and a land trust reporting zero vacancies.
A bulk water agreement nobody has used in years is finally being closed out, with formal notice effective April 1, 2027. Also this week: a juice chain lands at Linton and Federal, and a land trust reports 146 units full.
Delray Beach posted its City Manager's Annual Report on Aug. 3. It is a status document, and most of what it describes is already in motion. Water is the clearest example. Delray has had a bulk water agreement with Highland Beach since 1990, but no water has been requested or delivered in roughly 14 years. Highland Beach asked for a five-year extension. Delray utilities staff recommended declining, since Highland Beach runs its own reverse-osmosis plant and Delray wants that capacity for future growth. The City Manager's Office will formally notify Highland Beach, effective April 1, 2027. The report also covers capital projects, next year's pay proposals, and new beach enforcement.
Florida will refund the tax on your impact windows
Florida is refunding sales tax on storm hardening, but only if you go get it. Impact-resistant windows, doors, and garage doors bought between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2029 qualify. The break does not happen at the register. You pay the tax, then claim it back with the required forms and your receipts. The home has to be site-built, carry a homestead exemption, and have a just value of $700,000 or less. One property per owner, and the refund caps at $500. Claims can be filed from July 1, 2026 through Sept. 30, 2029.
The land trust that sells the house and keeps the lot
The Delray Beach Community Land Trust sells homes to low-income buyers for a fraction of the market price. The trust keeps the lot out of the sale, so a buyer pays for the house and not the ground under it. David Obee and his brother bought a three-bedroom, two-bath home on 14th Avenue through the trust in 2009 for about $142,000. Their monthly mortgage is just over $1,000. Executive director Evelyn Dobson said a comparable home would cost at least $450,000 now. The trust manages 146 total units with zero vacancies and has five projects in development. Program details and eligibility are posted at delraybeachlandtrust.org.
Joe & the Juice picks Delray Place
Joe & the Juice is coming to Delray Place, the shopping center at Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway. The address is 1821 S. Federal Highway. The menu runs to juices, smoothies, specialty coffee, and toasted sandwiches. No opening date has been announced. Delray is the first of several Palm Beach County locations the chain has planned. The company was founded in Copenhagen in 2002 and now has more than 400 locations worldwide. So this is less a one-off arrival than the front end of a county rollout, and Delray happens to be where it starts.
JP's Jam is set for Sept. 25
The Community Classroom Project will host JP's Jam on Sept. 25. It is a culinary fundraiser for the nonprofit's work. Details beyond the date are still thin. No venue, price, or lineup has been announced. The date is the useful part right now, so put it down before the fall fills in around it.
A roofing supplier takes Palm Greens to court
Beacon Sales Acquisition, Inc., doing business as QXO, filed a construction lien foreclosure complaint on Aug. 3, 2026. The defendant is Palm Greens at Villa Del Ray Recreation Condominium Association, Inc., which owns the recreation property at 5801 Via Delray. The supplier alleges $76,249.87 in unpaid roofing materials. The case is pending in Palm Beach County Circuit Court as case 50-2026-CA-008670-XXXA-MB, and the allegation has not been proven. Still, a lien claim against shared recreation property is the kind of dispute owners tend to meet later on an assessment. The filing is public and the amount is specific.