Come 2027, patrons of Holiday Park can say a final farewell to that notorious muddy parking lot.
Early next year, a pricey new parking garage with a rooftop vertiport would open at the popular Fort Lauderdale destination under a plan currently in the pipeline in Fort Lauderdale.
On Tuesday night, Fort Lauderdale commissioners ranked proposals from three development teams competing to build the new garage. The prettiest garage with the most expensive design — proposed by Holiday Park Parking Partners — won the top ranking.
The new 1,000-space garage would cost $31.4 million.
At the city’s request, the team also will build a parking lot with 292 spaces that Holiday Park Parking Partners estimates will cost $3.4 million. A $7 million Fire-Rescue/EMS substation is also planned to help enhance emergency response in the surrounding area.
The cost of the total project would come to nearly $42 million unless changes are made to bring the price down.
Commissioner Steve Glassman, whose district includes Holiday Park, pushed for the best design, despite the higher price.
“This is a very significant site, not just in District 2 but for the entire city,” he said. “Holiday Park is almost like our Central Park. And we’re building a structure that’s going to be between two very historic structures. Parker Playhouse on one side, War Memorial on the other. Design is very important to me. That’s a big factor for me. And I think we should consider that.”
It’s clear why that garage is more expensive than the other two, Glassman added.
“When you use more expensive materials, when you design something that’s going to be a little bit above and beyond, it’s going to cost you a little bit more,” he said. “Do we want something a bit more generic and save some money? Do we want something just a little bit boxier to save some money? For me, design does matter.”
Mayor Dean Trantalis expressed concern about the high cost, suggesting the city might not need a “big hulking garage” in the middle of Holiday Park.
“Can we afford it?” he said. “This is (more than) $30 million. Where is the money coming from? That too is a big question.”
The city plans to use its parking fund to pay for garage maintenance and operations. It has not yet been decided whether patrons will pay a fee to use the garage to help pay off the debt the city will take on to build it.
At no cost to the city, the developer plans to build a $16 million rooftop vertiport, a futuristic feature that won over at least two commissioners.
Once operational, the vertiport could generate $7 million in lease payments for the city over the course of the 35-year lease, said Cody Kiess, president of CORE. At the end of the lease, the city would own the vertiport as well as the garage.
Nearby neighborhoods, including Victoria Park and Flagler Village, are excited about the prospect of the vertiport, Glassman told the commission.
The vertiport would be one of the first of its kind in the country, according to the developer.
It would not be built until federal regulatory approval comes through for electric aircraft, paving the way for future electric air taxi services.
If the vertiport were to fail to make money down the road, Fort Lauderdale would have the option of transforming the vertiport space into rooftop parking, the developer told the commission. Doing so would add another 225 spaces to the garage.
Glassman questioned Rufus James, airport manager of the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, about the value of a vertiport.
“To be the first in the state to have this would be a feather in the cap,” James told the commission, adding that the executive airport has no vacant land available for a vertiport.
Vice Mayor John Herbst said the vertiport was a unique feature not offered by the other two development teams.
“The thing that makes this garage as appealing as it is, is the inclusion of the vertiport,” Herbst said. “Without the vertiport in the garage, it’s not as attractive of a facility.”
Before the ranking, Glassman made a final pitch for the garage with the rooftop vertiport.
“I am not here just to do things for today,” he said. “As a commission, we owe future generations the ability to say, ‘Hey look, this commission is forward thinking.’ We’re thinking about the future. We’re thinking about what’s coming next and we want to be on the cutting edge of that.
“We don’t always want to be behind the curve. We want to be ahead of the curve. And we want to show folks that Fort Lauderdale is progressive and we see what’s coming and we’re taking advantage of it.”
City staff plan to meet with the Holiday Park Parking Partners development team in the coming weeks to determine the project’s final scope, including costs, timelines and operational details.
If negotiations with the top-ranked team fail, the city will seek a deal with the second-ranked firm, Park Place Garages. If those negotiations fail, the city will pursue a deal with the third-ranked firm, G3 Development.
Park Place Garages had a total project cost of $36.6 million. G3 Development had the lowest price, at $34.9 million.
Following negotiations, the final agreement will be presented to the commission for review and approval at a future City Hall meeting.
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan