Fort Lauderdale, Florida Jun 28, 2021 (Issuewire.com) - THE CITY OF FORT LAUDERDALE BREAKS PROMISE OF GREEN SPACE IN FLAGLER VILLAGE — OUTRAGED RESIDENTS SET TO RALLY
Local properties in the entertainment district of Himmarshee Village in Fort Lauderdale were recently purchased by Jared Kuschner's company with the plans to build 4 high-rise towers, which prompted the owner of the "Revolution Live" concert venue, owned by Damn Good Hospitality Company, to seek relocation smack dab in the middle of a quiet residential neighborhood in Flagler Village.
Damn Good Hospitality Group, headed by Jeff John, presented an unsolicited bid to the City of Fort Lauderdale to build a concert venue on the property, formerly known as "One Stop Shop" which is located at 301 N Andrews Avenue. This land has sat vacant and has been promised as green space, and has been designated as such in the City’s Downtown Master Plan as a public park for over 15 years. A new park is something the already dense downtown neighborhood of Flagler Village desperately needs because of the rapidly increasing number of new residential dwellings being built.
Attorneys for Damn Good Hospitality have met with City officials more than 50 times in recent months, which has been discovered through a public records search. They have not met with any community leaders and other stakeholders in the community, as promised, and have not revealed any of their plans. And yet, their plans are slated to go up for a vote as soon as the next City Commission meeting on July 6, 2021.
In an October 2020 City Commission meeting, this unsolicited bid by Damn Good Hospitality Groups was brought forward for a vote and approved, with the following conditions: Mayor Dean Trantalis stated that public input would occur starting in 60 days after the vote. Commissioner Heather Moraitis was the only commissioner opposed to the concert venue proposal. She wanted public input followed by a Request for Proposal, which is an open request for bids and not a P3 like the unsolicited concert venue proposal that Jeff John submitted to the City.
Under state law, the private partner is not required to share their plans with the public but city officials stated that public input was vital to getting a good solution and promised that the public would be invited to review plans and offer their input and even advice on whether the P3 should be accepted.
Additionally, Mayor Trantalis came to one of the Flagler Village Park Committee meetings with several Committee members in attendance in early 2020 where he said, “That green space will be turned into a public park - you don’t need to worry about it being developed as anything other than a park.” Park Committee members Michael Madfis, Steven Peters, Fabiana Ahumada, and then President of the Civic Association Michelle Nunziata at the time were relieved that the Mayor said this, but unfortunately, that promise was not kept.
Park fees have been collected by the City for all new housing construction in Flagler Village, to be used exclusively to purchase or develop green space for the residents. To date, approximately $7 million has been collected, but none of the collected dollars has been spent in Flagler Village for a new park, although the City could have used these dollars to create a much-needed green space for the community on this site which they’ve been vehemently asking the City to be developed for over a decade.
The last City Commission meeting before summer recess is Tuesday, July 6, 2021, and City Manager Chris Lagerbloom recently stated in a Zoom conference call with Broward Workshop that this item may be on the agenda. Because it is an already packed City agenda, the likelihood that this meeting would go into the late evening with a limited public comment is a distinct possibility.
Therefore, concerned community members have organized a rally around the green space on Tuesday, June 29, 2021, to bring attention to this issue before the busy July 4th holiday weekend. The rally will be held at 6:30 pm and begin at the corner of 351 N. Andrews Avenue.
Participants are encouraged to carry signs, carry a palm branch, a plant or flowers, and/or walk their dogs. The March will take place on the public sidewalks around the property. It’s requested that those who would like to attend the event RSVP to the March to Save Our Green Space rally on the Facebook event page.
About Flagler Village Civic Association
Flagler Village Civic Association, Inc. organization consists of community members from all walks of life that have come together for a collective goal of reshaping our community for the betterment of all who live, work, and play in our diverse and beloved neighborhood. We encourage our community members by fostering goodwill, cooperation, and friendship, communicating matters about the neighborhood, and promoting development that improves the overall neighborhood and the quality of life for its residents and businesses.
RALLY EVENT PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Leann Barber
President of Flagler Village Civic Association
Email: fvca@flaglervillage.org
Phone: (754) 800-9765
Event Coordinator: Sister Robin Merrill
Email: robin@upperroomartgallery.com
Phone: (954) 592-6021
Please RSVP on our Facebook Event page.
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Media Contact
Flagler Village Civic Association fvca@flaglervillage.org (754) 800-9765 500 NE 1st Ave. Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 https://flaglervillage.org
