History Fort Lauderdale, a museum and research center, is located at 231 SW 2nd Avenue in Himmarshee Village.
Courtesy of History Fort Lauderdale
Buildings in Fort Lauderdale’s historic Himmarshee Village may soon get taller — and more modern.
City commissioners will vote on an ordinance updating the rules for the city’s Historic Preservation District, which Himmarshee Village is part of, at Thursday’s meeting. If approved, the ordinance will increase the building height limits for new construction and additions: up to six stories (with a step back of 15 feet required above three stories) along SW 2nd Street and up to three stories along SW 2nd Avenue and SW 3rd Avenue. Buildings considered to be historic are not affected by the changes.
According to a memorandum about the ordinance from city manager Rickelle Williams, the current restrictions are perceived to have been “holding back the economic development” of the historic district. The proposed changes are meant to preserve the area’s historic heritage “while balancing future redevelopment within the district.”
“We have a lot of redevelopment coming down the pike in terms of the Himmarshee district and Broward corridor,” said Commissioner Steven Glassman, whose district includes Himmarshee Village.
The ordinance is part of a larger effort to revitalize and “clean up” the area, Glassman said. City officials have been eager to crack down on the area’s rowdy nightlife scene, especially after a shooting in December and a Spring Break brawl captured on social media.
The city lists Himmarshee Village as both a Historic Preservation District and a Special Entertainment District. Earlier this year, commissioners considered forcing bars to close at 2 a.m. instead of 4 a.m., but instead banned the consumption of alcohol in open containers on the street and banned outdoor alcohol sales in the city’s entertainment districts. Soon, Glassman said, the city will “definitely” decertify the area’s Special Entertainment District, as well.
“It’s a very big effort to try and make sure that we’re able to overcome the obstacles that we have in terms of its reputation of being a late night party scene,” Glassman said. “We are trying to bring back the days when we had a lot of really nice restaurants there. People would hang out there during the day and night then walk over to the theater. None of that happens anymore.”
Quieter times in Fort Lauderdale’s Himmarshee entertainment district. Miami Herald file
Without the entertainment district, Himmarshee Village bar owners would have to apply for extended business hours. “It’s like a leveling the playing field and starting all over with a new set of rules,” he said.
The ordinance that changes the Historic Preservation District restrictions was approved by the city’s Historic Preservation Board and Planning and Zoning Board, according to city documents. Patricia Zeiler, the History Fort Lauderdale executive director, said she supports the proposed changes, too.
“Most of the Himmarshee district is no longer historic. I have the largest concentration of historic buildings,” Zeiler said, referring to the buildings History Fort Lauderdale owns. “All of those non-contributing buildings, which could be really great economic drivers, are still having to operate under the restrictions of the historic ordinance and they can only be two stories. Changing the height restrictions and the rest of the work that the city has done is very positive for the entire district.”
Zeiler said the ordinance would allow the museum and research center to update and expand its non-historically significant buildings and attract more visitors.
She called the ordinance “a game changer for our organization.”