Nightlife guru Jeff John bewitched commissioners five years ago with his pitch for a pricey Arts Park on prime taxpayer-owned land in downtown Fort Lauderdale.
In March 2022, the commission said yes to the deal, giving John rights to the property at 301 N. Andrews Ave. for 50 years, with an option for two 25-year extensions.
But the project has yet to break ground.
Now, four commissioners appear ready to call it a day and walk away from the deal.
When John got approval for the project in 2022, it was projected to cost $140 million. The new estimate: $192 million, he said.
John, CEO of Damn Good Hospitality Group, blames the delay mostly on the bad economy.
“Raising $190 million in this economic environment has been challenging,” John told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “It took a little while in this economic environment to find the right group to move forward. I hope at the end of the day they will see the financing is there. I put a lot of time and energy into this. I believe in my partners and I believe in this city and I believe in this project.”
Steve Glassman, the district commissioner, argues the developer’s plan for an Arts Park is better than the possible alternative: Two more high-rises downtown.
But even Glassman, an arts enthusiast who has championed the project from the start, acknowledges the path forward has not been easy for either side.
An aerial view shows city-owned land in the 300 block of North Andrews Avenue in downtown Fort Lauderdale. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel
In May, Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis summoned John to a City Hall meeting to prove he has the money to build the project. When he was unable to show proof he had the financing in place, the commission declared him in default on the contract.
John told the Sun Sentinel he not only has the financing, but has met every financial request from the city and remains in compliance with the comprehensive agreement.
During the May meeting, the commission agreed to give him time to “cure” the default by proving he has the money in place and providing the city with a $250,000 “good-faith” payment.
The project, however, suffered another blow on Sept. 4 when City Auditor Pat Reilly sent a memo to the commission warning of “several red flags” with the project’s financing.
Reilly’s memo, dated Sept. 4, complained of inconsistent information provided by John and his team; unverifiable references and/or funds; and a lack of transparency as to the bank(s) involved with the lending of funds, payment terms, collateral required by the lender.
“As of the date of this memo there is no proof of funds,” Reilly wrote. “This further reinforces the concerns regarding the financing arrangement. Considering these points, I recommend that a thorough background check be conducted on entities and individuals involved with the Arts Park Project.”
Concerned about the status of the project, Commissioner Ben Sorensen brought it up at the end of a recent City Hall meeting. Because there was nothing on the agenda related to the Arts Park project, John and his team were not at the meeting.
“Mayor, I have major concerns with this,” Sorensen said. “I have talked to staff about this. They have significant concerns with this.”
Vice Mayor John Herbst agreed, saying he wanted to know whether city staff had gotten independent confirmation that the money was in place for the project by contacting the lender directly.
That had not been done yet, Assistant City Manager Susan Grant told him.
The mayor made much of the fact that John hadn’t yet made the promised $250,000 “good-faith” payment or submitted a site plan to the city.
“I have been in favor of this project from day one,” Trantalis said. “But it’s not happening. It’s a flim-flam. Come on, either do it or get off the pot. Again, red flags keep flying in our face. That $250,000 was something I requested just as a show of good faith. If they can’t come up with $250,000, how are they going to come up with $140 million?”
Toward the end of the 30-minute discussion, Commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman spoke up.
“I don’t understand this,” she said. “Who does business like this? If someone came to my house and we went into a conversation about a contract and all these things (came up), I’d say, ‘Wait a minute.’ I would have a situation with this. And as a responsible commission to say, ‘Let’s keep it going, let’s roll?’ When it comes through (at a future meeting), I’m voting no.”
John told the Sun Sentinel he found out about the impromptu discussion after it ended.
“I didn’t get a call till it was over,” John said. “My team wasn’t there. We had nothing on the agenda that day. We had no one there.”
Glassman says he has good reason to fight for the project.
“This project gives us a 3-acre green space with a park,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “If this project does not happen we’re going to have two more high-rises with no park space. If we do go forward and this project collapses, what is the risk to the city? None. If they don’t meet the timeline (to submit the site plan) and we don’t get a $250,000 check, deal over. If they don’t meet those two things, deal over.”
Commissioners plan to take up the topic again at their next City Hall meeting on Tuesday. John says he and his team will be there.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan
Originally Published: September 12, 2025 at 7:00 AM EDT