WEST PALM BEACH —

Palm Beach County officials plan to begin construction this year on a $1.9 million project that will transform the area in front of the convention center on Okeechobee Boulevard into a landscaped courtyard that can be used for outdoor events.

Convention center officials pointed to the outdoor patio space at the nearby Restoration Hardware building, saying they hope to create a similar area that is appealing to both convention-goers who use the building and pedestrians and motorists who pass it on Okeechobee Boulevard.

Dave Anderson, regional vice president-Spectra Venue Management, the company that runs the convention center, said an outdoor event space has long been needed at the building. The project will also create a tranquil area where convention-goers can relax between meeting and events, he added.

“We wanted to design it in a way that creates seclusion from Okeechobee Boulevard and a sense of place,” Anderson said. “It is really the outdoor space that we have been looking for.”

The design plan includes new sculptural elements, lighting, and landscaping that will transform about 8,500 square feet near the convention center’s entrance off Okeechobee Boulevard into an “outdoor room,” said Elayna Toby Singer, the county’s Art in Public Places administrator.

“It is about creating an iconic presence for the convention center as a destination,” Singer said. “It is about having that landmark.”

Los Angeles-based artist and architect Susan Narduli was selected by the county’s Art in Public Places committee to lead the team that is designing the project. Narduli’s studio was one of 48 groups that competed for the chance to design the project, Singer said…

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