One month after the U.S. Secret Service instituted a round-the-clock closure of South Ocean Boulevard in Palm Beach, the agency and the town have reached an agreement to re-open the road.
The stretch of South Ocean Boulevard between Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club and South County Road will now remain open when the former president is not in residence at the historic estate, according to an announcement from the town of Palm Beach. The town and Secret Service met Monday to address the road closure, which has been in effect since July 20 following the assassination attempt at a July 13 Trump campaign rally.
The deal follows last week’s Palm Beach Town Council meeting, during which the council considered closing Mar-a-Lago to members, guests and events if the indefinite road closure continued.
“In my mind, if the road is closed, the Mar-a-Lago Club is closed,” Mayor Danielle Moore said at the meeting.
South Ocean Boulevard is a primary artery for Palm Beach, and the blockades effectively cut the island in half and caused hours of traffic, officials said. Luxury real estate listings priced as high as $45 million were impacted by the closure, requiring Secret Service clearance for agents and prospective buyers to access them.
The Secret Service previously closed South Ocean Boulevard during Trump’s presidency, but an indefinite barricade for the road was an unprecedented measure. With the island’s busy season just weeks away, town officials anticipate the intermittent blockades when the Republican candidate is in town will create “serious traffic impacts,” according to the announcement.
Read more
Politics
South Florida
The Weekly Dirt: A deep dive into Mar-a-Lago’s worth
Residential
South Florida
“Slow start, strong finish”: Palm Beach real estate’s season in review
Residential
National
New York, Palm Beach were bright spots in trophy market slowdown