fl-andrews-rehab-plans-20110109 
FORT LAUDERDALE —
The corridor between the county courthouse and Broward General Medical Center was the historic center of the city but has long been better known for its dilapidated buildings and vacant lots.With its 100th anniversary this year, Fort Lauderdale is moving to transform the one-time hub along South Andrews Avenue.
City commissioners recently approved plans to redevelop the South Andrews area into more of an extension of downtown — an urban environment with a mix of new homes, offices and shops. They streamlined the process for approving new development and eased restrictions on parking and the height of new buildings.
"This is the promise of a better future for Andrews Avenue and Fort Lauderdale," said Sasha Parker, owner of the Esthetic Skin Institute on South Andrews. "This is an opportunity for city to do right thing and help make a corridor that is distinctive."
The plans for the area south of the Tarpon River to State Road 84 are eight years in the making and come as Broward County also is set to gut the nearby, aging courthouse. About 1,500 residences and more than 1 million additional square feet of office and commercial space would be built over the next two decades under the rezoning plan that the city crafted.
Also envisioned is a transit station to shuttle workers and a town center complex that would feature shops and a hotel. First-floor shops, curbside parking, small parks and greenways would be key features of the area.
The renovation push faced last-minute objections from some residents and historic preservation activists.
Preservationists wanted approval delayed for a thorough review of historic property, saying they believe there are about 90 properties in the South Andrews area that could have some historic value. City officials countered that they support preservation and see it as a next step in the planning process.
Some residents also objected to loosening parking requirements. Under the city's rezoning, developers would not have to meet stringent rules on the number of parking spaces required for a new business or housing project.
Area resident Cal Deal referred to it as a "parking ponzi scheme."
"What is to stop another 60-person law firm with inadequate parking from overrunning our streets?" he asked. "Nothing. What is to stop another copy service from ordering its employees to park on city streets? Nothing."
City planners and businesses say the streamlined process commissioners approved lifts current stumbling blocks to redevelopment.
Some businesses complained that the city's development regulations, particularly the parking rules, made renovation all but impossible. One business owner said he decided not to build a café because he would have had to spend $150,000 to add a couple of parking spaces.
"The process is expensive and prevents us or anyone from developing," said Orlando Sharpe, owner of Andrews Avenue-based Sharpe Project Developments. "This will help streamline and open it up. We've been in a stagnant mode for years and years, and it is time to do something and make it viable."
The rezoning allows more mixed-use developments that include housing and business, and projects up to 10 stories high would not need a public hearing for approval. Buildings up to 150 feet high would be allowed with City Commission approval. The city would try to address parking needs with more garages and the transit station.
The idea is to create more of a pedestrian-friendly business district like existing ones along Las Olas Boulevard or in downtown Delray Beach and Wilton Manors. Also, planners think the city could lure suburbanites tired of long commutes to work downtown.
"We need to move forward, and this will revitalize our neighborhood when nothing else has," said Wendy Walker, who owns a real estate appraisal business in the area.
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