The City of Fort Lauderdale Development Services Department is advancing preliminary outreach activities for the Himmarshee District to incorporate public input into the early planning phase of this project.
The overall intent of this effort is to identify opportunities to enhance and revitalize Himmarshee Street and the Himmarshee (H-1) Historic District through updates to the existing code, implementation of a more integrated streetscape, and creation of design criteria to harmonize this existing district with surrounding new development while maintaining and respecting the historic character of the area.
Review the Himmarshee Street Revitalization and Code Updates Framework.
Identified as a first step in this initiative was to discuss the current conditions and options for improvement with stakeholders and members of the Himmarshee community. To guide this effort, in September 2023, the city hired Urbe Studio to conduct public outreach to identify challenges and opportunities for the study area.
Staff met with Urbe Studio to develop a plan of action for public outreach. It was determined that a mixture of one-on-one discussions, online digital commenting tools, and an in-person interactive event would provide a broad range of opportunities to gather input. Both the online opportunities and the in-person event were advertised through multiple channels including direct email and mail, social media postings, and listing on the City’s calendar of events.
Interviews were conducted with key stakeholders which included representatives of organizations within the study area and business owners. A map that allowed users to create notes was posted on the City’s website and provided an opportunity for comments pertaining to specific locations within the study area. Members of the community also had the ability to submit written comments via the City’s website. Additionally, an Open House was held on November 13, 2023, to allow participants to comment on questions posed on the interactive boards.
A final version of the Public Outreach Summary and Next Steps report for the Himmarshee Revitalization Plan has been prepared by the consultant and includes an overview of the outreach activities, feedback received, and proposed next steps to move forward in developing a plan. Click on the link below to view the final report: