Fort Lauderdale Commission continues work on projects.
From David Volz
The Fort Lauderdale Commission is continuing to work on the DRV PNK Stadium.
In 2019, the City entered into an agreement with Inter Miami to revitalize a 64-acre property that included Lockhart Park. The 18,000-seat DRV PNK Stadium was completed in July 2020 while plans for a community park and additional amenities remain in progress. In July 2022, the Commission approved a one-year extension to the construction timeline and a revised conceptual design has been developed. The City will now issue a task order for development of a design plan from which cost estimates will be generated and present it to the Commission at a future meeting. The City Commission also agreed to enter a mediation process with Inter Miami.
“The mediation process will resolve differences of opinion as we move closer to completing this site and all of its community amenities. We will get this done,” said Commission Steve Glassman.
City staff provided updates on several projects along Las Olas Boulevard.
The initiatives include the Henry E. Kinney Tunnel Top Park, Las Olas Isles crosswalks, addition of a dual left turn from SE 15th Avenue onto Las Olas Boulevard, milling and resurfacing along 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Avenues, Las Olas seawalls, and the Las Olas Mobility Plan. A representative from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) said the tunnel top park is expected to be completed near the end of May. For both the Isles crosswalks and dual left turn at SE 15th Avenue, the design processes were completed, and the projects are currently in the procurement process for construction. The milling and resurfacing projects which have not already been completed are scheduled to begin this year.
The seawalls on Hendricks Isles are currently in the last phase of construction, and seawall construction projects on Lido Drive, San Marco Drive, Coral Way, and at Merle Fogg Park are scheduled to begin this spring. The Las Olas Mobility Plan is in the procurement phase for the design of Andrews Avenue to SE 17th Avenue and the potential contract award will be brought before the Commission in May or June 2023 for consideration.
Fort Lauderdale Commission
From David Volz
The Fort Lauderdale Commission approved a number of major projects during a recent meeting.
The City Commission approved a nearly $119 million agreement with Moss & Associates to construct the new City of Fort Lauderdale Police Headquarters. The 191,000-square-foot, three-story facility will be situated at 1300 W. Broward Boulevard and will feature training rooms, public meeting areas, and community space where residents and officers can work together on crime prevention and safety initiatives. The project is expected to take approximately 24 months to complete.
The Commission approved a motion for Construction Engineering Inspection Services for the State Road A1A Streetscape project from Sunrise Boulevard to the Beach Parking Lot entrance, near SE 5th Street, in the amount of approximately $369,600. The project will enhance safety by providing lighting for pedestrians as well as provide hardscape and landscape improvements at the intersection of Las Olas Boulevard and A1A.
“This is one of the final Beach CRA projects all of which have tremendously improved the Las Olas Corridor from the intracoastal bridge to the ocean. The Las Olas Promenade Park, Las Olas Garage, Las Olas Oceanside Park, the Aquatic Center, DC Alexander Park, and now this project all have significantly improved the beach experience not just District 2, but for all our residents and visitors,” said Commissioner Steve Glassman.
The Commission adopted a resolution of support for mobility and transportation-related projects as part of the 2023 Mobility Advancement Program. The City is allowed to submit a total of three applications for projects that either create a new roadway, expand an existing roadway or intersection, or implement traffic calming measures. The three submissions are, NE 26th Street Complete Streets Project, SW 14th Avenue and Middle Street Capacity Improvements, the construction of a new roadway segment on SW 19th Avenue between SW 19th Street and SW 20th Street. The projects will compete for funding against other municipalities’ applications and awarded projects would be programmed for funding in 2027.
The Commission adopted a resolution of support approving NW 24th Avenue between W. Sunrise Boulevard and Panther Lane to also be known as Marcia Pinder Way. The legendary girls’ basketball coach at Dillard High School guided her teams to 996 wins and 10 state championships during her 44-year tenure and was inducted into the National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2014. Pinder was also honored by the City of Fort Lauderdale and the Citizens’ Committee of Recognition as the 2019 Citizen of the Year.
The Commission approved a motion to increase funds under a continuing contract for general environmental engineering consulting services. The environmental assessments will be performed in the areas between NW 6th Street and NW 8th Court and NW 18th Avenue and NW 20th Avenue. The increase of approximately $184,000 in funding allows for the continuation of environmental assessments and site investigations, including the testing of soils and groundwater to determine the suitability of the properties identified for affordable housing.
The Commission approved the first reading of an ordinance that amends the City’s Unified Land Development Regulations (ULDR) to comply with updated affordable housing policies in the Broward County Land Use Plan.
The ULDR amendments better define locations where additional affordable units are permitted and modifies average affordable housing unit size, among other updates. “The Commission continues to prioritize affordable housing and continues to make significant strids in this endeavor,” said Glassman.
The City Commission approved a resolution to accept a grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) in the amount of $906,510. Funds from this grant will be used for a wireless broadband pilot project in selected low-income areas and to fund the City’s summer Education Enrichment Program
