Dear Neighbor,
Fort Lauderdale has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. The Venice of America grew in population from 165,521 people counted in the 2010 Census to 182,760 people as of this past 2020 Census. And it isn’t stopping anytime soon! We expect to see an additional 16,000 more people moving in by the end of next year. Our Downtown alone has increased by approximately 3,000 residents just since the beginning of COVID-19 and is anticipated to hit 30,000 residents by 2026. We know that large numbers of people are moving here specifically from New York City and Washington DC because they see what Fort Lauderdale is doing and want to be a part of it. With these population gains comes the need for smart, sustainable development. We know they are coming, and we know that they want to enjoy all the amenities and benefits that come with living in our wonderful city. Our challenge is to accommodate the growth while at the same time maintaining the high quality of life that we have all come to enjoy.
Redistricting
With this growth, we must look at our Commission District maps and follow the mandate that each Commissioner is still representing an equal portion of the city. At the last Commission Conference Meeting, we received an analysis and presentation from FAU that began our redistricting process.
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Following their report, they held a second presentation for public input and offered individual meetings for all of the members of the Commission. There were many discussions about what our district maps would look like given the shifting population and new development across the city. This past Monday, FAU released 3 potential map options, shown below, and we are likely to see one or two more prior to the next Commission meeting. |
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Map Option 1: (Click on the image to enlarge) |
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In Option 1, District 2 would gain all of the beach from Lauderdale By The Sea to Port Everglades along with the neighborhoods along East Las Olas Blvd. from the Isles all the way west to the train tracks, and Sunrise Intracoastal. However, we would lose South Middle River, Middle River Terrace, Poinsettia Heights, Progresso Village, City View Townhomes, and Sailboat Bend. |
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Map Option 2: (Click on the image to enlarge) |
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In Option 2, we would gain all of the same areas as Option 1, plus the eastern half of Coral Ridge, but we would also lose Lake Ridge. Additionally, we would keep the portion of Progresso Village east of Andrews Ave. |
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Map Option 3: (Click on the image to enlarge) |
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In Option 3, we would lose virtually all of the beach, save for a small portion between Las Olas Blvd. and Harbor Dr. That obviously causes an issue as it would put me living in District 1. Otherwise, the district boundaries would stay fairly similar to where they are today, save for gaining that same portion along East Las Olas Blvd. and Bal Harbor and also losing Sailboat Bend and Progresso Village west of Andrews.
As we await one or two more maps to evaluate, this process is far from decided. We will continue to review our options, and we will have a healthy discussion regarding all of these maps at the next Commission meeting on April 5th. Please keep an eye on your inbox for our next email, which will have the meeting agendas. You can visit https://fortlauderdale.gov/redistricting for the most up to date information, and please feel free to provide your input and feedback on the map options.
As we can see, population growth and sustainability will continue to be at the forefront of everything we do in Fort Lauderdale. Considering the erosion of local rule in our state, it’s a shame that we have come to the end of the 2022 State Legislative Session and issues of affordable housing, property insurance reform, and condo reform/regulations in light of the Surfside tragedy went largely ignored in favor of divisive culture war issues. However, the City of Fort Lauderdale continues to use every avenue available to ensure all of our current and future residents are pleased with the decision to make Fort Lauderdale their home.
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It's #WomensHistoryMonth! To celebrate, we're highlighting the Fort Lauderdale Woman's Club (established in 1911)! Much of our city's history is intertwined with their organization.
The Club was instrumental in:
- Securing Seminole Reservations in the state of Florida
- Beginning today's public library system with donating of over 1200 books to the city
- Naming “Port Everglades”
- Helping the city’s first planner to plan the city; with the clubhouse at the focal point at the corner of Andrews Ave & Broward Blvd.
- Helping to plant the royal palms on Las Olas Blvd
- Raising money for the Holy Cross Hospital building fund
- Helping with funds for dredging the New River
DYK: Virginia Young, who was one of the Club's presidents, is the only female mayor Fort Lauderdale has had.
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Check out the concepts for the Reimagined Huizenga Park project by clicking here
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DowntownFTL Spring Residential Real Estate Report |
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Please note the DDA's release of the Spring 2022 DowntownFTL Residential Real Estate Report prepared by Colliers International!
Key takeaways from the report:
· DowntownFTL’s population is projected to approach 30,000 by 2026
· 49% of DowntownFTL residents are between the ages 20 and 44
· Average rent in DowntownFTL increased 21% over the past year, compared to 31% in Downtown Miami
· Downtown FTL has a higher residential occupancy rate than Downtown Miami
· There is a strong demand for existing inventory downtown, with 98% occupancy in stabilized buildings
Click here to view the report on our website, along with the option to download a PDF in the viewer.
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Fort Lauderdale Historic Preservation Plan |
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Join us and In celebration Women’s History month as we highlight female creative expressions with activations, live performances, culinary arts and music!
Masquerade Celebrations!
Shops
Art
Food
Music & Dance!
Pet Friendly
FREE Parking
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SECOND PUBLIC MEETING. BTACTICAL
NE 15th Avenue Lake Ridge - April 2
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The team will present the preliminary design, ART theme options and volunteer opportunities. Register here: https://arcg.is/0H9HDK
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Broward Boulevard Sewer Pipe Maintenance Project |
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The City of Fort Lauderdale and Miller Pipeline, LLC will be performing maintenance on a sewer main that runs along Broward Boulevard from Andrews Avenue to US-1/Federal Highway in DowntownFTL.
Construction is expected to be completed in May 2022 with work taking place Sunday through Thursday evenings between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Traffic Impacts:
- Up to two lanes in each direction of Broward Boulevard may be closed overnight. At least one lane will remain open.
- One lane of southbound NE 3 Avenue approaching Broward Boulevard may be closed overnight.
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We have the following Board Vacancies below. Please email Nancy Fry [email protected] if you are interested in serving on a Fort Lauderdale City Board.
Affordable Housing Advisory Board
Board of Adjustment
Central City Redevelopment Advisory Board
Civil Service Board
Code Enforcement Board
Community Appearance Board
Community Services Board
Fire-Rescue Facilities Bond Issue Blue Ribbon Committee
Insurance Advisory Board
Nuisance Abatement Board
Sustainability Advisory Board
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There was an excellent turnout at the “Reimagine Huizenga Park.” meeting on March 16th. Thank you to the Downtown FTL (DDA) for the thorough presentation and Q&A. As our downtown grows, creating greenspace/parks and improving existing open spaces is vital to our future. That is why this was a perfect way to spend an evening after the Commission's 4-1 vote to move forward with the new ArtsPark in Flagler Village.
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In October of 2020, I attended the groundbreaking for Lineo in Lake Ridge. On March 17th I met the developers of the project Noah Leon and Steven Guasch of Defined Companies at the completed, sold out townhome project to see the result. Just beautiful! We toured Paul Ringon’s empty unit and met new Fort Lauderdale resident Brendan Murphy who graciously invited us in to see his home. He moved from Boston and loves the City! Did I mention that the last two units sold for more than $900 thousand?! |
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Ashley, our D2 Outreach Coordinator, was present at the Lake Ridge Civic Association meeting on March 17th where they received updates from the police department and the transportation and mobility department. Neighbors learned about the NE 15th Avenue BTactical project and provided their input on the proposed design. Thank you to Judge Andrea Gunderson and Judge George Odom for swearing in the 2022 Lake Ridge Civic Association Board members. Congratulations to the new board members and President Michael Albetta for a very successful in-person meeting. Lastly, thank you to all of the neighbors who participated in the meeting and wore green attire to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! |
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Always enjoy the Downtown FTL (DDA) “Pulse” webinars. The March 18th presentation focused on the residential sector and Ken Krasnow from Colliers International did a superb job presenting the data. City of Fort Lauderdale has a growing downtown that is vibrant, diverse, relatively affluent, 68% single, educated, and one-third ages between 20-34! We also have a higher occupancy rate than Miami and West Palm Beach. The panel told their stories from both a residential and business perspective and it is easy to see why people are choosing to live in downtown. The City Commission will continue to ensure that our infrastructure meets the demand of smart growth and that we provide the needed green-space amid the density.
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Margi Nothard is a rock star and on the evening of March 18th we celebrated the 20th Anniversary of Glavovic Studio in Flagler Village. Her new space is a renovated 50+ year old building that houses her Architecture Art & Urban Design firm and soon to come on site is Aqui and The Backyard. Stay tuned!
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The greatness of our community starts with passionate citizens like you.
Please do not hesitate to contact our Outreach Coordinator, Ashley Cacicedo, with any questions, comments or thoughtful suggestions [email protected] or 954-828-5923.
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Steve Glassman
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioner, District 2
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