The Fort Lauderdale City Commission Tuesday will discuss a proposal to redevelop four historic properties in the North Beach neighborhood, including Manhattan Tower, one of the city’s major mid-century architectural landmarks.
Designed by noted local architect Charles McKirahan in 1953, this building and 25 others on the central beach have been noted as a potential historic landmarks.
Courtesy of Arthur Marcus
The distinctive Manhattan Tower on Fort Lauderdale beach is marked for demolition to make room for another high-rise condominium complex.
However, not one has been designated as historic by our city and all 26 are in danger of demolition.
It is so unfortunate that a city with as rich an architectural legacy as Fort Lauderdale is unwilling or unable to protect its legacy. There must be a concerted approach to ensuring it is protected.
The commission may certainly opine how owners of historic properties should not be saddled with the extra costs of preservation. The commission may also discuss that the small sizes of these lots leave no room for preservation. Some on the commission may debate whether it’s even necessary to preserve these buildings.
But what is never heard in these debates is the responsibility of the commissioners to the citizens of Fort Lauderdale to preserve our shared cultural and architectural heritage. Memory is a moral act of choosing which stories to keep alive. Here’s asking the city of Fort Lauderdale to keep our joint cultural heritage alive.
— Arthur Marcus, Fort Lauderdale
The writer, an architect, is chairman of the Fort Lauderdale Historic Preservation Board.
Editor’s Note: Manhattan Tower at 701 Bayshore Drive would be replaced with a 13-story, 54-unit condominium building with 114 parking spaces. The building would be 144 feet tall, 20 feet higher than permitted by right, and is subject to city commission approval.
‘I thought it was a joke’
When I first read the news about the indictment of former FBI Director James Comey for his seashell message “threat” against the president, I thought it was a joke. Of all of the absurd litigation prompted by the paranoid man in charge, this has to be the most ridiculous.
Kash Patel said the DOJ spent a year building this case. That’s hundreds if not thousands of hours that could have been used to do the real job of DOJ — to prosecute fraud, drug trafficking, white collar and organized crime, rapists, pedophiles, environmental polluters, etc.
As a retired high-level government official, I was very familiar with cases brought to the DOJ for prosecution. I could say without a shadow of a doubt, they would normally never touch a case as frivolous as this. If and when there’s another election in this country, and DOJ reverts to its real function, they will not be able to breed enough lawyers to prosecute all of the crimes of this administration.
— Alan L. Greenberg, Delray Beach
By the numbers
James Comey arranged seashells to spell “8647” and posted a picture of it on social media.
Trump’s Department of Justice perceived this as a threat on Trump’s life, and indicted him. All I have to say about the DOJ’s perceptions is this: “6-7!”
— Jack Pelzer, Plantation
Editor’s Note: “Six-seven” is youth Internet slang that dictionary.com says is mostly nonsensical.
David Allan Coe, 1939-2026
Rest in peace, David Allan Coe.
Saying he was controversial is a big understatement, but he was still one of the best songwriters in the history of country music (“The Ride,” “You Never Even Called Me By My Name,” etc.)
Condolences to his family.
— Paul Bacon, Hallandale Beach
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