In one meeting, the city of Fort Lauderdale was able to find solutions to two persistent challenges: a Las Olas facelift, and the underage, open container drinking in the city’s entertainment districts.
On Tuesday night, the city voted in favor of eliminating open containers in all of its entertainment districts.
“What we’re finding is underage children were drinking,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.
On Dec. 28, five people were shot on Himarshee Street and Third Avenue. No one was ever caught, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is offering $25,000 for information related to the crime.
On New Year’s Eve, 17-year-old Joshua Gipson was shot and killed near Beach Place on A1A minutes before the new year. A 17-year old was later arrested for the crime.
“The calls range from pass out to intoxication to overdoses,” said Fort Lauderdale Fire Chief Stephen Golan, who added calls increase between midnight and 4 a.m. usually during Spring Break.
While there wasn’t a vote, city leaders had a robust discussion on what a Las Olas facelift may look like following years of debate over black olive trees and the medians along the famed boulevard.
City officials are moving toward a solution that does a couple of things — including getting rid of the median, widening the sidewalks and keeping the on-street parking.
“We want the trees. It’s an iconic design element of the city,” said Bill Ott, a member of the Downtown Association at Tuesday’s meeting.
“We need to explore all options on these trees, and I think we need to get other opinions,” said
Ted Inserra of the River Oaks Association.
City officials claim the city arborist gave the black olive trees a lifespan of eight to 10 years.
“Yes, ultimately, and the black olive trees will be removed,” Trantalis said.
“What we’re trying to figure out is how we can create that unique shade tree experience,” said Fort Lauderdale Vice Mayor John Herbst.
Herbst told NBC6 they want Las Olas to be more pedestrian-friendly and safer for drivers. One challenge on the famous stretch of road is the ability of fire trucks to get through the narrow stretch of road.
“One of the proposals had 67 new shade trees that are going to be planted along the Las Olas corridor,” Herbst said.
Both issues come back before the city commission on Feb. 3.
