Oakland Park receives a grant to improve Royal Palm Park Trail
From David Volz
The City of Oakland Park received a federal grant for $400,000 for improvements to the Royal Palm Park Trail located at 1701 NW 38th Street. Improvements will include the expansion of the existing trail’s width to eight feet, repair and resurfacing of the existing 2,760-ft asphalt trail, and pedestrian lighting enhancements. The grant is from the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) of the Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration. RTP provides funds to states to develop and maintain recreational trails and trail-related facilities. The funding allocated through this grant will be utilized for the design, engineering, and construction of the Royal Palm Park Trail Improvements Project. Since 2015, the City has secured more than $50 million in grant funding for projects, enabling the City to be good stewards of residents’ tax dollars.
The City of Oakland Park recognizes that rising housing costs are creating economic challenges. That’s why the City is taking steps to be proactive when it comes to attainable housing. Over the last two years, the City incorporated attainable housing into its Strategic Plan and conducted a study to understand attainable housing concepts, best practices, and opportunities in Oakland Park. The City Commission recently hosted an Attainable Housing Workshop to get input from the community that can be incorporated into updates to the City’s Comprehensive Plan.
“It is imperative that we address the critical issue of attainable housing to help our residents in need. Having an open dialogue is an important step to identify priorities and develop a strategy that can support affordable options for people who want to live here,” said Mayor Aisha Gordon.
The discussion included comments from Habitat for Humanity of Broward. “I want to compliment you all for the foresight you have demonstrated,” said CEO and Executive Director Nancy Robin. “You are so far ahead of the curve from so many municipalities that we deal with,”
Robin commended the City for the holistic approach it is taking to help residents.
The City’s Financial Services Department will host a Virtual Community Budget Meeting on Monday, April 24th, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. See a presentation on the budget process and the strategic plan, learn about ongoing initiatives, get a timeline for the fiscal year 2024 budget development and adoption, and participate in a question and answer session
The Taste of Oakland Park event is coming soon! One of the City’s signature events, TASTE of Oakland Park, is a grand tasting showcase that will feature food and drinks from 30 of the City’s best restaurants and bars. Enjoy savory samples from El Guanaco, the Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, Nour-Thai, Prison Pals, Brewlihan, Funky Buddha Brewery, and more, all at one mouth-watering event! Taste will take place on Friday, April 21st, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Jaco Pastorius Park at 4000 North Dixie Highway. Tickets are available for $15 per person.
