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The Greenways subcommittee was addressed by Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jim Naggle, and the Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk design architectural firm, Ed Stone and Associates.  The Greenways subcommittee noted the following during the presentation, Riverwalk tour and water taxi ride:

• Lauderdale Riverwalk funded in part by 1985 Bond Issue
• Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority (DDA) heavily funded Riverwalk, and has a plaque adjacent to amphitheater adjacent to riverwalk.
• Business Improvement District (BID) funding also used for Riverwalk development, sometimes using local homeless in labor force
• City of Fort Lauderdale provides Riverwalk’s maintenance and security
• Mayor and designers only regret was failure to adopt design standards and guidelines (equivalent to Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan).
• Encouraged Miami to limit development heights adjacent to the Greenway outside of the Central Business District
• Lauderdale Riverwalk has 5,000 new residential units connected to it, including Las Olas Grand and Symphony Place, creating a more 24 hour downtown Lauderdale
• Water Taxi’s quintessential to Riverwalk success, Federal Grant programs available to private companies, Lauderdale Water Taxi is electric hybrid propelled by vegetable oil and is low, therefore requiring minimal bridge openings
• Lauderdale representatives noted the need to maintain portions of the riverfront for marine industrial uses which are key to the local economy and river’s ambiance
• Lauderdale wants to improve signage
• Activities are key and Lauderdale Riverwalk has weekly festivals, concerts, events, etc.
• Riverwalk has electrical hookups for vessels whose dockage revenue, $1.5 million per year, is utilized for the Riverwalk’s Park Rangers (administered by the City of Fort Lauderdale’s Parks Department) security force
• Mayor Naggle noted the Miami River’s need for a tunnel, similar to Fort Lauderdale’s, built in 1959
• Lauderdale had a public plan (similar to Miami River Corridor Urban Infill Plan) which installed the necessary infrastructure, which later attracted private development
• Lauderdale cited the re-routing of roads within their river corridor as key to their re-development success
• EDSA noted the importance of step-back development from the Greenway

The Greenways subcommittee thanks our Fort Lauderdale hosts for their time and wisdom obtained through their experience in developing the successful Fort Lauderdale Riverwalk.

The meeting adjourned.

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