The northwest “Uptown” part of Fort Lauderdale is known more for its corporate offices than community sensibility. New developments aim to change that.
Fort Lauderdale city commissioners heard the latest updates on its Uptown Urban Village initiative on Tuesday. . The idea, which has been over a decade in the making, is to rebrand and revitalize the busy commercial area with new mixed-use sites, including affordable housing, to attract more young professionals to live closer to where they work.
So far, the initiative has given way to seven development projects: Three have been approved, two are under review, one is under construction and one has been built.
Three more potential projects are in the works, said Jim Hetzel, the urban design and planning manager at the city’s Development Services Department.
“We’re really looking forward to making this another economic generator for the city of Fort Lauderdale besides just downtown,” Vice Mayor John Herbst said at Tuesday’s meeting.
The Uptown Urban Village refers to the roughly 360 acres of land on the west side of Interstate 95 between McNab Road and Northwest 56th Street. In 2014, a group of landowners and business owners came up with the idea to take advantage of the area’s location as a transportation hub to create a “live, work, and entertain” community. Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, Interstate 95 and the Cypress Creek Tri-Rail station are close by.
The City Commission then adopted a master plan for the Uptown Urban Village in 2019 to rezone the area to allow for more housing, mixed-use developments and walkability.
“The vision for Uptown is a vibrant urban village with a mix of uses and a sustainable growth pattern for the future,” Hetzel said.
Treo Apartments was the first development project approved and completed as part of Fort Lauderdale’s efforts to revitalize and rebrand the Uptown Urban Village.
(Amanda Rosa/arosa@miamiherald.com)
San Diego-based developer’s Treo Apartments, 6500 N. Andrews Ave., was the first development approved in December 2020. The eight-story apartment building, which completed construction last summer, has ground-floor retail and 295 apartment units, eight of which are affordable housing.
Construction is underway at Mayla Cypress, a luxury apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale’s Uptown Urban Village. The city government is looking to rebrand and redevelop the northwest part of the city to attract more residents.
(Amanda Rosa/arosa@miamiherald.com)
Then there’s Mayla Cypress, 6261 NW Sixth Way, a seven-story luxury apartment building under construction. Last summer, Grover Corlew, a Boca Raton-based developer, broke ground on the 3.71-acre site that was previously occupied by an old office building.
Mayla Cypress will offer 312 units, a resort-style swimming pool, outdoor kitchens, grilling areas, a clubhouse, a two-story 24/7 fitness center, conference rooms and a dog spae, according to Florida YIMBY.
“This neighborhood is experiencing a resurgence,” said Mark Corlew, Partner at Grover Corlew. “With the Uptown area’s access to major transportation corridors, employers and lifestyle amenities, Mayla Cypress will offer a modern residential option that enhances livability and connectivity.”
The three approved projects are:
Avery Cypress Creek: A seven-story mixed-use project with 200 units, 24 of which are affordable housing. Located at 6210 N. Andrews Ave.
Aspire Cypress Creek: A five-story project with 345 units and ground-floor retail. Located on the corner of Andrews Avenue and Cypress Creek Road.
The two proposed projects are a Target, which would replace a Regal Cinema and Office Depot, and Pinnacle at Cypress, a senior affordable housing development.
Other changes include improved sidewalks, bicycle paths and street signs or markers that identify Uptown as a community, Hetzel said.
Herbst said he was pleased with the update and happy to see housing options “where young professionals can afford to live close to where they work.”
“We’re really getting a lot of traction up there,” Herbst said. “This is going to be a great live-work environment.”