IN THE NEWS: Fort Lauderdale fuels northwest building boom with $2.1 million for developers

22 Aug IN THE NEWS: Fort Lauderdale fuels northwest building boom with $2.1 million for developers

By Brittany Wallman / South Florida Sun Sentinel

The march of redevelopment continues in northwest Fort Lauderdale, with millions in public funds fueling the building spree.Tuesday, the city gave out another $2.1 million to remake the decades-old American Legion hall, build affordably priced townhouses, subsidize office space and spark creation of jobs for people who live in the northwest.The subsidies, mostly in the form of forgivable loans, are in addition to millions given to developers over the past two years. A few of the other recipients: Sistrunk Market and Brewery, a $1.4 million forgivable loan; Six13 tower, a $7 million forgivable loan; and Hotel d’Arts, a $3 million subsidy. In addition, Tuesday night, commissioners approved a site plan for a new YMCA on Sistrunk Boulevard, a project receiving $10 million in public funds.

Lorraine Mizell, 78, a lifelong resident of the northwest, said she’s “ecstatic” about what’s happening in what traditionally was the black community. The area is on the fringe of a booming downtown, north of Broward Boulevard and west of the FEC railroad tracks.“I believe in growth. I believe in improvement,” Mizell said. “I believe in change.”The money comes from the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, which traps property tax revenue from its boundaries and dedicates it to removing “slum and blight.” Commissioner Robert McKinzie, who represents northwest Fort Lauderdale, said the city’s aid is essential.The city has intervened to remove social problems; one of the projects supported Tuesday was aided by the city’s purchase in years past of a business that was a hive for drug deals. The “green store” was torn down, and townhouses will replace it. The city sold the property at a loss Tuesday, in addition to propping up the townhouse deal with a forgivable loan. “It was worth every penny,” McKinzie said. “Their standards were so low in what they tolerate from their customers.”

The deals approved Tuesday:

• JOBS: $221,917. Shipmonk, a company that fulfills online orders, recently relocated from Deerfield Beach to Fort Lauderdale’s Riverbend Corporate Park at 201 NW 22 Ave., west of Interstate 95 and north of Broward Boulevard. In return for a $221,917 forgivable loan, Shipmonk promises to give 22 of its expected 418 new jobs to residents from within the CRA. Seventy percent of Shipmonk’s employees are involved in packing and shipping, earning $24,500 a year. Other jobs include “happiness engineer,” earning $35,000. CRA Housing and Economic Development Manager Bob Wojcik said the jobs require no experience and provide the opportunity for a person to be trained and rise in rank.
• AMERICAN LEGION: $350,000. The Robert Bethel American Legion Post 220 social hall at 1455 Sistrunk Blvd. will be gutted, renovated and expanded to 2,544 square feet, almost triple the current size. The 1947 building will get a large meeting area, handicap accessible restrooms, office and storage space. The city’s contribution, in the form of two forgivable CRA loans, is $350,000 of the total $374,000 renovation. The Florida Panthers Foundation will provide $25,000.
• TOWNHOUSES:$1.5 million. On land fronting the south side of Sistrunk Boulevard from the Interstate 95 overpass to Northwest 22 Avenue, 25 two-story townhouses will be built in four buildings. STKR Sistrunk owns much of the land, and the city will sell the remainder to the developer. STKR will receive a $1.5 million forgivable loan for the $6.9 million River Gardens Townhomes, which will be priced from $249,900 to $259,900. District residents will have an early chance to buy the townhouses, before they go on the market. The city’s four parcels will be sold at a loss, for $180,000, to complete the project. City officials said the price reflects current market value, though it is much less than the city paid for the properties originally. The city CRA paid $400,000 for 2162 Sistrunk Blvd. and $415,000 for 2130-2140 Sistrunk, in a deal that included additional property, city officials said. A nuisance convenience store, car wash and auto repair shop on the properties were demolished.
• BUSINESS SPACE: $70,000. At 612 NW 9th Ave., Provident Fort Lauderdale is renovating a 13,500 square foot space into a business complex. The city CRA will provide a $70,000 property improvement grant to help with the $550,000 project. The city already agreed to give Provident a $225,000 grant and $125,000 loan for the same project. The total city contribution is $420,000.