It may seem difficult to realize that only a few years ago downtown Fort Lauderdale was characterized by an “office-only” environment serving major corporations, businesses, and many city offices. At 6:00 pm, after all the corporation employees and attorneys went home, the downtown area was dead, but the Fort Lauderdale downtown core was about to be reinvented.
The goal for development was to create a 24 hour district with a densely populated downtown, fine entertainment and a real urban center that attracted new resident, businesses and visitors as well. The idea succeeded and it commenced when the city released a number of units along the river to be developed. Before we all knew it, beautiful state-of-the-art buildings were shadowing the streets of Fort Lauderdale and creating a new landmark for the city.
Today, elegant structures like the 42-story River House, the 31-story Watergarden and the 38-story Las Olas Grand compliment the already aristocratic Museum of Art, theaters, and dining on Las Olas. However, the construction wave continues on the surrounding areas with buildings like the Strada 315 among others rising every year.
