City Paves Way for Revitalization of Historic Northwest Community In February, we marked Black History Month and paid tribute to the generations of African-Americans, their struggle with adversity to achieve equal rights in American society and recognition for the contributions that they have made to our nation’s progress. In Fort Lauderdale, we hosted the Sistrunk Parade and Festival in honor of the occasion. Black history, after all, is American history and Fort Lauderdale history. It is our responsibility to pick up the mantel and continue to strive towards a more just world. One thing that we’ve been undertaking in Fort Lauderdale is the effort to revitalize the historic heart of the black community, the Northwest area. This had been the vision of later leaders, such as longtime commissioner Carlton Moore, who engineered new and creative ways to fulfill this vision. In 1995, the city created a redevelopment area that encompasses the Northwest as well as Progresso Village and Flagler Village and has been spending specially designated tax money there to make improvements. Our strategic redevelopment plans are focused on
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expanding economic opportunities and fostering a vibrant environment for businesses and residents. The dramatic growth of Flagler Village has brought in additional tax revenue that has allowed the city to pick up the pace of work in the Northwest and we have many successes to show for it. One area of significance has been to nurture affordable housing. For instance, the city gave $7 million toward the construction of Six13 that consists of 142 units of workforce housing and 8,300 square feet of retail space. Other housing efforts that have been funded include a 90unit tower offering affordable senior housing and a new home for the Pantry of Broward, a mixed-use housing and commercial project by Wright Dynasty, a planned 100-unit affordable senior housing project by the Housing Trust Group and Mount Hermon AME Church, and the West Village project for 455 rental units and more than 17,000 square feet of commercial space.
