Town Center

Transforming the Heart of Broward County

The intersection of State Road 7 and Oakland Park Boulevard is located at the geographic center of Broward County. This important intersection presents Lauderdale Lakes with a unique  opportunity to revitalize itself as the beautiful and special it is destined be - the "Heart of Broward County."

Calming Traffic & Increasing Visitors

The power and value of State Road 7 and Oakland Park Boulevard traffic to commerce is evidenced by the large number of businesses that are located along our commercial corridor. However, the speed of traffic along these roads needs to be "calmed" and a sense of place needs to be created for people to actually see the "Heart of Broward County" and want to slow down and visit. This can be accomplished by the creation of a beautiful Town Center that serves as the civic, business, and entertainment heart of our community.

The Lauderdale Lakes Town Center is considered to comprise all four corners of the State Road 7 and Oakland Park Boulevard intersection, as well as the 32-acre Bella Vista site directly to the east.

Channeling the Energy

This image shows how the energy of the intersection can be channeled, by redesigning the streets and treating them as public spaces that should be attractive to, and filled with pedestrian activity, as in any healthy downtown. When one drives through Lauderdale Lakes, they should slow down and notice that they are in a special place. The city should have enough distinction that a visitor will remember the details and layout of the place and be drawn to return.

The Setup

Our Town Center plan is centered on two proposed public greens, one facing Oakland Park and the other facing State Road 7 (as shown in the rendering on this page). The "Greens" are connected by a new "Main Street," and are each anchored by one civic building site. The remaining faces of the "Greens" and "Main Street" are fronted by architecturally inspiring five-story mixed-use buildings, having retail uses on the ground floor. Offices and residences would exist above the retail. When completed, the "Greens" and "Main Street" will become active civic places that people will remember and return to time and time again.

All the streets and buildings within the Town Center district will be designed to be beautiful office and residential addresses. To accomplish this, great care will be taken to incorporate smaller greens and plazas throughout the district, creating not only special addresses and views, but places where, over time, fountains and public art might be placed to further adorn the city's heart.

Accommodations

The Town Center plan accommodates a variety of uses, including one large retail opportunity (which has already been acquired by Wal Mart). Parking would be provided with on-street parking and parking structures hidden from view by beautiful buildings.

The Lauderdale Lakes Town Center is a prime example of how traditional neighborhood planning can transform an aging suburban strip mall into a vibrant community center where people love to live, work, and play. The Lauderdale Lakes Community Redevelopment Agency is actively looking for business partners to work with us on making this vision a reality. For more information, please call 954-535-2490.