FORT LAUDERDALE — Tunnel Top Plaza, the gathering spot on Las Olas Boulevard that sits above the U.S. 1 tunnel, has turned into a no-walk zone.
A mass of metal scaffolding went up in late December, prompting people passing by to wonder why. It’s all to make way for a shady new addition: Beige-colored shade sails.
The work could be done as soon as next week, Fort Lauderdale officials say.
The retractable shade sails should help make Tunnel Top Plaza a more attractive and comfortable spot, said Melinda Bowker, president of the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Civic Association.
“Tunnel Top gets so hot,” Bowker said. “There’s no shade. And the artificial turf is burning hot. It generates heat upwards. It’s like a little furnace. People just can’t take standing on that artificial grass in the blazing sun.”
When Tunnel Top Plaza opened in December 2023, the snarky critiques started rolling in about the new pedestrian plaza with its terraced seating areas with the sparse landscaping and artificial turf.
“Nice putting green,” one resident commented, referring to the patch of fake grass. Another complained that residents were promised a posh park and got a “postage-stamp park” instead.
Even commissioners admitted to being disappointed.
Commissioner Steve Glassman described it as being stark and sterile.
Mayor Dean Trantalis said it was in desperate need of more landscaping and public art.
Still others complained about the steep cost.
Tunnel Top cost more than $12 million in taxpayer dollars. The new shade sails are adding an additional $62,000 to the tab.
“For something that seems to have disappointed a lot of people, it certainly cost a lot of money,” said longtime resident Nancy Thomas, a frequent critic of City Hall. “I just think it’s a lot of money and it should be accounted for. I’m disappointed that so much was spent and now more needs to be spent to make it a usable public space.”
Workers install shade coverings at Tunnel Top Plaza on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
On Thursday, Trantalis said Tunnel Top Plaza was in dire of need of a shade structure to lure more people to the area.
As for the color choice of the shade sails, the mayor said he was not consulted. Had he been, he would have chosen a blue-and-white striped canvas to reflect Fort Lauderdale’s beachside vibe.
“I’m sure over time we will be changing them to something more lively,” he said.
When asked why the shade structure was not included from the beginning, Trantalis said everyone thought an open-air plaza would work.
“Nobody thought of it,” he said. “It wasn’t considered necessary.”
When it became clear people were uncomfortable in the heat, the city started researching ways to fix the problem, he said.
An aerial view of shade coverings going up on Wednesday at Tunnel Top Plaza in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Scaffolding went up in late December. The work is expected to wrap up next week. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)
Trantalis said he still gets complaints from residents who think Tunnel Top Plaza looks ugly.
“I tell them it’s a work in progress,” he said.
City officials plan to get feedback from residents about the color of the shade sails, Commissioner Ben Sorensen said.
“We can adjust the color,” he said. “Those were the ones most easily available.”
A plan is in the works to add lush landscaping along with bigger trees, according to Sorensen.
And if a hurricane is on the way, the shade sails can be rolled up and taken down, he added.
Bowker, who heads the Downtown Fort Lauderdale Civic Association, said she looks forward to seeing the new look.
“Hopefully they will be kind of artsy,” she said. “In other cities, there’s a bit of artistry and whimsy to them.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan