Heading to the Lake Worth Beach Casino This Fall? What's Open, What's Under Construction, and What's Still Undecided

Who decides what happens to the Lake Worth Beach casino, and how big a change can they make at once? Voters answered most of that question last March. This fall's construction work, lease approvals and unresolved projects at the beach all fit inside that answer. A power line under the lagoon and a longer stay for Benny's moved ahead without a vote. The closed pool and the empty second floor haven't.

For anyone whose weekend involves the casino lot, the pier or Bryant Park, this is what's moving, what's stuck, and which dates fall on which side of the construction.

The rule voters kept in March

The March 10, 2026 municipal ballot included Question 2, titled "City-property East of A1A." It asked:

"In order to encourage private investment in and redevelopment of City-owned property and reduce the City's maintenance costs of City facilities, shall Article II, Section 3 of the City of Lake Worth Beach Charter be amended to allow City-property East of A1A to be leased for up to 99 years for purposes other than lodging and residential uses?"

According to the official Palm Beach County election results, it failed 2,670 to 716. That's 78.85% no, out of 3,386 votes cast on the question.

The Lake Worth Beach Independent's ballot explainer described what each answer would have done. A yes vote would have let three commissioners approve leases of up to 99 years, with the city keeping ownership. A no vote kept the current rule, under which the Commission can approve leases of up to 29 years and anything 30 years or longer needs voter approval. The city restates the rule in its own procurement documents. It tells bidders that the city "may not sell, hypothecate, convey or lease (except a lease of less than 30 years) the City Casino Building properties without an approved voter referendum."

So any change at the casino has to fit inside a lease the Commission can sign on its own, or it has to go back to voters. Everything else on this list follows from that.

What fits under the rule: Benny's stays on the pier through 2043

The clearest example of a change that fits is the restaurant at the end of the pier. On Sept. 21, 2026, the Palm Beach Post reported that Lake Worth Beach approved a new lease keeping Benny's on the Beach on the pier through 2043. A lease approved in 2026 that ends in 2043 is well under the 30-year line, so it didn't need a citywide vote.

The money gives a sense of scale. The Post's June coverage of the 4-0 vote on June 16 on the extension terms reported rent of more than $32,000 a month in 2026, rising to just under $40,000 a month by 2033. Under the old terms, rent rose 3.5% every year. Under the new terms, increases after 2033 are 5% every other year. The Post also reported that residents disagreed about whether the deal is good for the city, and commissioners said it is, given the risks the owner takes on.

For a weekend morning, what matters is that the routine is set for years. Benny's lists daily pier hours starting at 7 a.m. The rest of the casino's ground floor runs as small shops. The city's Casino and Beach Complex shopping and dining directory lists Mamma Mia's on the Beach, the Lake Worth Beach T-Shirt Co. and Kilwins Chocolates, along with Benny's. Kilwins gives its address as 10 S. Ocean Blvd. These are ordinary short-term tenancies, the kind of arrangement the March vote left in the Commission's hands.

What fits under the rule: a power line under the lagoon

The other change moving forward this fall is under the water. The city's Electric Utilities Department is running the Intracoastal Waterway Bore Project, which uses directional drilling to install a new electric conduit between Bryant Park and the Casino and Beach Complex. New lines will run through it to serve buildings east of Ocean Boulevard. The Lake Worth Beach Independent described it as a $1.46 million, 3,350-foot bore that replaces aging cables under the waterway.

This is city infrastructure, so it involves no lease and no vote. But it takes up the same lot beachgoers use. Here's what the city's project page lists for the work period:

• Schedule: mobilization in late August, with completion expected in mid-November, about 90 days total. Work hours are Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weekend or night work may be needed during continuous steps such as the pilot bore and pullback.
• Parking: about 60 spaces in the Casino lot are closed for the duration. No ADA spaces are blocked. Some resident permit spaces have moved just west of their usual spot.
• Shuttle: a free shuttle runs from the City Hall parking lot to the beach on Saturdays and Sundays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the lot is expected to fill.
• Access: Bryant Park paths inside the work zone are closed. The seawall path, boat ramps, parking lots and playground stay open, and beach access from the Casino lot shouldn't be affected. Expect detours inside the beach lot.

The parking count depends on the source. The city says about 60 spaces. The Independent's Aug. 23 report put it at nearly 80 and said the middle section of South Bryant Park would close. The same report noted that temporary lifeguard and maintenance modular buildings had been put on the beach hill south of the closed casino pool. As of early October, mid-November is still the city's stated target. We haven't seen an October progress update confirming it.

What doesn't fit yet: the pool and the second floor

The two biggest open questions at the casino are the ones that may need more than a short lease or a utility project.

The pool. A city staff report for the April 7, 2026 meeting describes a 32,500-square-foot pool, built in the early 1970s, that closed in 2016. At that meeting, a consultant from the firm Zyscovich told commissioners, "It has clearly structurally failed," and added, "Mechanically, the systems are all gone... it is beyond repair," as the Independent reported.

That's a consultant's assessment, not a city decision. The broader beach-complex planning work had been paused since Feb. 3 while the city waited on the March referendum. By then about 30% of the tasks were done and $121,189.35 had been invoiced against a maximum of $473,121.60. On April 7, commissioners voted unanimously to finish the work under Task Order 1 and Sub Task Order 2.3a, and approved up to $275,000 for beach complex professional services. We found no later Commission action on repairing, replacing or demolishing the pool.

The second floor. Upstairs in the casino there's about 3,000 square feet of ballroom and about 5,000 square feet of unfinished space. In May, WPTV reported that commissioners voted 3-2 to seek proposals for a restaurant, lounge, event management or mixed-use concept, with a consultant review to follow. The city's listing for ITN #26-100 shows it closed at 3 p.m. on June 25, 2026, with no public opening. "Closed" means the submission window ended. It doesn't mean a contract was awarded. No respondents, rankings or award have been made public.

Any proposal for either space runs into the rule voters kept in March. A lease of 29 years or less can go through the Commission. Anything longer goes back to the ballot.

The calendar keeps going regardless

None of the open questions affect the beach calendar. The city's 2026–27 event schedule sets the bonfires at the Beach Complex starting at 6 p.m. on these nights, plus a few Bryant Park and downtown dates through December:

The timing overlaps with the construction in two places. Trunk-or-Treat in Bryant Park on Oct. 30 and the first bonfire on Nov. 6 both come before the city's mid-November target for finishing the bore. That means fewer spaces in the Casino lot and closed paths in part of Bryant Park are likely, unless the work finishes early. Both are Friday evenings, and the city's free shuttle runs only on weekends from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so it won't cover either event. Veterans Day on Nov. 11 is also in Bryant Park and falls close to the target date. The Nov. 20 bonfire is the first beach event on the calendar after mid-November.

Later in the season, the city's schedule puts the next Street Painting Festival downtown on Feb. 27–28, 2027.

The near-term picture is fairly settled. Benny's is staying on the pier, the shops are open on the ground floor, and the conduit is expected to be finished by the second half of November. The pool and the second floor will be decided at Commission meetings. If a proposal needs a lease of 30 years or longer, voters get the final say.

If you own near the beach and are wondering what a longer Benny's lease, the closed pool or a future second-floor tenant could mean for your street, we're happy to talk it through. Erica and Steve at Welcome Home Palm Beach Life follow these Commission votes as closely as the sales, and they'll give you a straight local read. Let's Make Your Move Make Sense.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.