From David Volz
The Fort Lauderdale Commission is looking for ways to improve the City’s infrastructure. It is working with various agencies and organizations to accomplish its goals.
During a recent meeting, representatives from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) provided a presentation about the Gateway Interchange project located at Sunrise Boulevard and US-1. The project focuses on the primary intersection and intends to increase capacity, transportation demand, safety and emergency response, and other improvement efforts. FDOT continues its public outreach efforts in the surrounding neighborhoods to solicit feedback and identify a shared vision for the project. Nine design alternatives were offered, from no action being taken to the addition of more traffic lanes, roundabouts, overpasses, or underpasses, among other options.
Commissioner Steve Glassman said, “I look forward to the narrowing down of the alternatives to three options and further public meetings.”
The City Commission was shown a presentation that detailed the challenges and benefits of habitat enhancement, living shorelines, and living seawalls. The Commission requested the information following the adoption of a tidal barrier ordinance in March 2023 that includes requirements for habitat enhancement when installing a tidal barrier replacing a natural shoreline. The ordinance encourages, but does not require, seawall construction that incorporates living shoreline features and the use of hybrid green-grey natural-structural materials. Living seawalls provide value to the habitat, resilience to wave impacts, and support waterways quality. Challenges include funding for this type of improvement, ensuring the right solution is in the right place to address the waterway quality concerns, market readiness of some of the options, and a potentially complicated permitting process.
The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board of Commissioners approved a motion to allow several forgivable loans to be granted to 825 Progresso Drive, LLC, for the Progresso Park Project. The project intends to redevelop the area from a dilapidated used car lot into an indoor/outdoor venue that offers yoga, fitness, art, food, shops, music, and recreation opportunities. The loans include a $212,520 Property and Business Improvement Program Forgivable Loan, a $92,735 Façade Program Forgivable Loan, and a $97,440 Streetscape Enhancement Program Forgivable Loan.
