Say goodbye to those famous black olive trees on Las Olas Boulevard.
Despite fierce pushback, Fort Lauderdale commissioners voted Tuesday night to move forward with a pricey redesign that will wipe out the tree-lined median to make way for wider sidewalks.
Before the vote, a chorus of critics swept into the City Hall meeting in a final attempt to save the tree-lined median that many say gives Las Olas its own special charm.
Chris Nelson, a frequent critic of City Hall, was one of several speakers to urge commissioners to listen to the residents.
“Just keep that one area that has those olive trees,” Nelson said. “That’s what defines Fort Lauderdale. Be remembered as the commission and the mayor who said, in the midst of all this sprawl and these condos going up everywhere, we decided to take a stand with that little area and preserve that. You guys can really be heroes tonight.”
But after nearly three hours of debate, Commissioners Ben Sorensen, Steve Glassman and John Herbst cast yes votes. Mayor Dean Trantalis and Commissioner Pamela Beasley-Pittman voted no.
Sorensen said it was important to widen the sidewalks and retain the on-street parking. Glassman reminded the room that black olive trees can no longer be planted due to a change in city code.
And Herbst referred to the “long and tortured process” that began years ago when a former city manager first brought up the idea of getting rid of the median on Las Olas.
“There’s a lot of love for the black olive trees,” Herbst said before the vote. “There’s reasons to keep them. There’s reasons to get rid of them.”
But the reasons to get rid of them “win the day for me,” he added.
Trantalis argued for preserving a two-block section of median with the most trees and the fullest tree canopy.
“Honestly, I don’t think Las Olas is broken,” he said before commissioners cast their vote. “I hope we don’t kill it by trying to make it better. Nothing’s broken on Las Olas.”
Up to 90 new trees on way
Today, 15 olive trees line a four-block section of Las Olas Boulevard.
The redesign calls for wider sidewalks lined with up to 90 canopy trees on both sides of Las Olas. The new trees will need another eight years to reach full maturity after being planted.
Construction won’t begin right away.
The work would begin in about two years, according to city officials.
In 2023, the estimated cost for redesigning the entire 2.4-mile stretch of Las Olas all the way to State Road A1A was approaching $200 million.
For now, the city is focusing on redesigning the western stretch, which includes three distinct areas: Downtown, Colee Hammock and The Shops, home to the black olive trees.
It will cost an estimated $7.5 million to redesign The Shops section, $5 million to redesign the Downtown section and another $6.8 million for Colee Hammock, city officials say. In all, the project would cost $19.3 million.
On Tuesday night, community leader Esthel Brennan criticized the city for packing all three items into one resolution.
“I ask the commission to please stop proposing packed all-or-nothing resolutions,” said Brennan, president of the Riverside Park Residents Association. “It is very clear everyone here today is opposed to one-third of this prong. It should be handled separately.”
‘Getting rid of charm and history’
Brennan warned commissioners they’d be going against the majority of the residents if they approved the resolution.
“By removing the median, you will continue to turn Las Olas into a basic strip mall,” Brennan said. “We are going to be getting rid of charm and history, completely making Las Olas devoid of character and heart.”
Resident Joy Triglia, a real estate agent who lives on the barrier island, also spoke up for the trees.
“Las Olas Boulevard is not simply a roadway. It’s our city’s front porch,” she told the commission. “It’s internationally recognized as one of the most beautiful and iconic streets in America. The mature trees lining the Las Olas median, in particular the black olive trees, are irreplaceable. They soften the urban environment and create a sense of arrival. Once removed, this legacy cannot be restored.”
‘It ain’t an easy choice’
Charlie Ladd, a developer and member of the Downtown Development Authority, has pushed for the redesign from the beginning. But on Tuesday, even Ladd acknowledged the commission had a tough choice to make.
“Nobody wants to take those trees out,” Ladd said. “Those parallel spaces are there as a traffic-calming device and protection for pedestrians. But nobody wants to take those trees out. But if those trees die, then what? So it ain’t an easy choice.”
Some speakers suggested the city get rid of on-street parking on Las Olas if they want wider sidewalks.
That proposal has been roundly panned by property owners who say getting rid of the on-street parking will hurt business.
Sorensen had a question for staff: If the median were to stay, would the black olive trees be compromised when construction crews widen the sidewalks?
The answer: Yes. The construction would harm the root system, making the trees unstable.
Sorensen had a follow-up question: If new trees were planted in the median, would the city be limited in its choice of tree?
The answer: Only smaller canopy trees could be planted in the median. And black olive trees are no longer allowed under city code.
Questioning the numbers
Mary Fertig, a longtime community activist who represents the Idlewyld neighborhood on the east end of Las Olas, advised the commission to put on the brakes until they’re sure of the true cost of the redesign.
“It’s interesting to note that the total cost of the western section in 2021 was almost $42.5 million,” Fertig said.
A year later, the city’s consultant estimated the cost would increase to almost $51 million if the project got underway in 2025.
Now, the estimated cost to redesign the entire western corridor has plummeted to less than half what was projected five years ago, Fertig noted. She questioned how that could be when inflation has risen sharply and told commissioners they should be questioning the numbers, too.
“Before you go and commit to another $20 million, get a real idea of what this is going to cost,” she said.
Herbst told the commission he had no appetite for spending $50 million in taxpayer dollars redesigning the western corridor of Las Olas. He suggested they decide later if they want to move forward with construction, after they determine the true cost and who will pick up the tab.
The city is submitting a request for a federal grant of up to $15.4 million to help pay for the project.
‘That’s the charm’
Before Tuesday night’s vote, Trantalis made one last appeal for compromise.
“I know the olive trees in the middle of the street look misshapen,” he said. “They’re kind of gangly. And they kind of look spooky sometimes. But I think that’s the charm. Why are we taking that away?”
He suggested, as he did in 2024, that the city keep the olive trees in the median but move forward with planting new trees along the sidewalk.
“I happen to think that cutting down the olive trees before they die is a mistake,” he said. “And I would like to see the olive trees kept at least in the first two blocks of Las Olas (beginning at the U.S. 1 tunnel.) That seems to be the most iconic section of Las Olas.”
In the end, his appeal failed to sway the majority of the commission.
Sorensen introduced the resolution for approval. Glassman seconded.
After the vote was taken, the room was dead silent.
“Everyone was deflated,” said community activist Ted Inserra, who has been pushing for years to save the trees. “As soon as the vote came in, we realized we lost. It just took all the air out of the balloon. People were so disappointed.”
Richard Sussman, a Fort Lauderdale resident, predicts the city will regret its decision.
“The powers that be do not understand what makes this street what it is,” he said. “Without the trees, Las Olas becomes just another commercial thoroughfare. Kiss charm goodbye. They will be literally paving paradise to put up a parking lot.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan