Nocturnal Democracy: Marina Lofts vs. Tarpon River



View of the lot south of New River

Since Marina Lofts was first proposed about 20 months or so ago, it became the center of a fight between two very opposite groups. For years, the south side of New River between the FEC RR tracks and SW 4th Ave has been a mix of industrial lots but at the same time residential units that resemble Key West, not Downtown Fort Lauderdale. Beside the Esplanade building, nothing really is attractive architecturally speaking between those streets. Riverwalk, our city's linear park that follows the path of New River, ends by SW 1st Ave to continue again by SW 4th Ave, skipping this area to give way for Water Taxi, Fort Lauderdale's ferry service along the river, and the Riverfront Marina, a very industrial-like building.

However, in an empty lot bordered by SW 4th Ave and SW 4th Ct right across from the Esplanade building, there is a natural beauty unique in our city, state, and even our country (at least in the continental part). Albizia (Samanea) Saman, known as the (African) Rain Tree, is an 80-year old tree that sits in the property where this project is proposed to be built. It measures 61' tall with a 20-foot trunk and a canopy that is 127' wide so majestic that in 1982 it was named Florida Champion by the Florida Division of Forestry; and in 1987, the City of Fort Lauderdale Commission  resolution No. 87-318 added it to a list of protected trees to ensure that it would not be damaged or removed. 



Marina Lofts by architect Bjarke Ingles

Normally, something like this should have been (at least) noticed by the public, and maybe a park for locals and tourists to visit should have been there already by now; however, none of this ever happened. Since the tree sits inside a fenced out property, nobody but tree aficionados really paid attention to it (or knew about its existence). That of course was the case until Asi Cymbal came up with a better idea for this underused area to bring a bold new look for Fort Lauderdale's skyline. The Israeli-born, Brooklyn-raised, Miami-based developer hired none other than Bjarke Ingles, the renowned Danish star architect who was awarded with the European Prize for Architecture in 2010 and the Wall Street Journal Innovator of the Year in 2011 to design the project. His firm, BIG, came up with a breathtaking design that includes two buildings separated by a 30-foot-wide zig-zagging fissure mimicking a river path that makes them look as if they are one building snapped in half instead of two. A third building grants access to boats sailing through its center connected to a marina storage on its ground level (yeah, that's right!).



the Rain Tree

So presently, if nobody can sit under the Rain Tree's shade, if nobody can actually enjoy the Rain Tree (or at least not from far away); then, what is the big deal deal about it? For the rest of us mortals this was just another tree. Well, for the Fort Lauderdale Garden Club, this was not a mere tree; this tree was special, and they made sure their statement was heard across the board. Neighbors, preservationists, and local officials rallied to keep the tree in its current location; and "tree huggers" collected signatures petitioning to leave the tree alone citing that by moving it, the Rain Tree was sentenced to a slow and painful death. The media fueled more controversy to the issue by running stories about a Water Taxi crew member who was fired for supporting the tree's cause; and all of the sudden, this tree rose from anonymity and became the center of an unexpected (and very weird) saga (or soap opera if you would like).



To address the protesters worries, the developer hired Bob Brennan, a certified arborist for the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden; and Paul Cox, another certified arborist from a company called Environmental Design that specializes in tree relocation, and more importantly, has patented different technology (used all over the world) with high success rates of moving and preserving trees. Both specialists assure that this relocation would require a lot of planning ahead (especially clearing the way for this massive relocation) but they  both stated that moving the Rain Tree to its new home could be done citing previous experiences with much bigger trees in much tougher situations. In addition, a $1 million bond was placed in case something bad happened to the tree; however, none of this satisfied the demands from the opposition. They wanted to preserve the tree's current location at all cost, even if that meant killing the development's chances of construction.

But see, here is where our democracy works. Round 1: Marina Lofts vs. Rain Tree Historic Designation. Protesters sought to deem the tree historic based on the grounds of its previous designations; however, none of them seemed to mention anything remotely related to any historic event occurring in its surroundings. Was there any war treaty during the Seminole Wars signed under its shade? Was the tree worshipped by or had any type of religious significance to the local indigenous people? Was the tree used in any way by Frank and Ivy Stranahan in the founding of Fort Lauderdale? Nothing really seems historic here besides the fact that tree is big and unique. As expected, on December 11, 2012, very late at night, the Broward County Commission, voted 2-7 against the resolution to designate this massive rain tree as historical. (Strike One)



Planning & Zoning hearing on May 14, 2013 at City Hall

Round 2: Marina Lofts vs. Tarpon River neighbors. Even though the original proposal had been changed drastically to address some of the concerns raised by Tarpon River's neighbors, the opposition came ready to make the case against the project once again. On May 14, 2013, the City of Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Department held a hearing to discuss with the public any concerns before making a decision regarding the development. One of the valid concerns was the issue about future traffic flow. The streets surrounding the lot in question are not ready for the future demand that is coming, which based on their current characteristics and geometry could be considered as local roads (2,000 vpd or less). Although this project seeks to increase walkability within our urban core, all the parking spaces proposed suggest a big increase in traffic flow in the area; therefore, better signage and signalization will be needed to make driving on these roads safe. The developer agreed to make all the necessary adjustments to the plans and committed to convert all the surrounding streets into "complete streets" to make it safe for not only motorists but also pedestrians and mass transit riders. During the developer's presentation, different benefits for the community were outlined, such as completion of the Riverwalk gap between SW 1st Ave and SW 4th Ave, shops and restaurants along the New River, a new and modern home for Water Taxi; and more importantly, a new home for the Rain Tree for all us to enjoy. As expected, the City of Fort Lauderdale Planning and Zoning Department Board very late at night (in the AM hours actually) voted unanimously 9-0 to recommend this development for approval to the city Commissioners. (Strike Two)

Round 3: Marina Lofts vs. Tarpon River neighbors/Rain Tree. Not happy with the previous results and commitments made by the developer during the Planning and Zoning hearing, the Tarpon River's neighbors and the tree protesters made their voices heard once again on August 20, 2013. 120 people put their names down to speak either in favor or against the development. From those people, there were two very distinctive groups: millennials and baby boomers. The clash between generations was evident in the rhetoric. One group was constantly living in the past and wanting things to be pretty much the same as when they moved here 20 or 30 years ago, stressing the fact that the low key mentality is what made them move here in the first place (some even mention the 1960-movie "Where the boys are"). The other group complained about having a car-driven community with a lack of units for youngsters to "Live, Work, Play" as promoted by the Downtown Development Authority, demanding an urban scene with walkable communities and mass transit interconnectivity as stated in the Fast Forward Fort Lauderdale: Our Vision 2035 plan. Two completely different approaches, for two completely  different groups coexisting under the same Rain Tree. It was not until 3:04 AM and after a lot of conditions that the development was approved unanimously 4-0. (Strike Three)

So, what can we learn from Tarpon River's involvement with the final outcome  of this development? First, having your opinion heard by your elected officials definitely pays off. The beauty of our democratic system allows the people to participate in their communities' decision-making process and be part of the change. Even though the neighbors did not stop this project from an unanimous approval, their concerns were heard and the proposal was drastically changed to satisfy the most vocal demands presented (although for some, the changes were not enough). Second, the developer reached out to the community. This marketing approach made a difference on this case, which also magnified the generational gap between the two groups. Social media was heavily used by the project supporters while the opposition presence online was not as strong since they relied on traditional media to present their case. Finally, the Foreign Direct Investment magazine ranked Fort Lauderdale as No. 7 on the "Top 10 Small American Cities of the Future" by collecting data on its economic potential, human resources, cost effectiveness, infrastructure, and business friendliness. Therefore, our government leaders did not want to make a decision that could have negatively affected our perception as a city of the future. Only time will tell if the right decision was made; however, I am sure that 30 years from now people will be mentioning this moment as the point in which Fort Lauderdale's future was changed forever.