From David Volz
The City Commission was given an update on the new Fort Lauderdale Police Department headquarters construction project, including the current status and future considerations. Ground was broken on the project in June 2023, and one year later, construction is about 50% completed. However, a deflection issue was discovered in March of 2024, and initial efforts to address the issue were not successful. The deflection is a bending of the roof slab, causing hairline fractures in the concrete. The City engaged the services of an independent engineer to provide supplemental recommendations, and the teams recently agreed on measures to successfully resolve the deflection. The Commission made clear that any costs associated with steps taken to fix the issue should not be incurred by the City.
Vice Mayor Steven Glassman said, “When I asked the question of the vendor last night, What happened? I was told it was human error. In other words, there was a miscalculation in the design. Additional engineers have been brought on to ensure that this building is safe for our police department, safe for the public, and will not incur any water intrusion due to this error and omission,” said Glassman.
The City Commission was shown a presentation from the Southeast Florida/Caribbean Urban Land Institute about its findings for the new City Hall. The group offered recommendations as to where the new building should be located, what services should be available, how it can be funded, and what components may be considered for inclusion in the design. This proposal would see the new City Hall consolidate a majority of City departments in one location and serve as a central hub for government business.
The City Commission heard recommendations for a standardized process for allocating park impact fees collected by the City. The recommendation included utilizing existing funds to support signature Parks Bond projects, including Lockhart Park, Holiday Park, Carter Park, and the Tunnel Top Plaza. Staff also recommended that future funds be split equally between regional and district parks. The Commission indicated a desire to have the Parks, Recreation and Beaches Advisory Board review the suggestions and bring its recommendations back for consideration.
