The Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority and the Huizenga Park Foundation officially celebrated the reopening of Huizenga Park over the weekend, marking the completion of a two-year, $15 million redesign of the 3.6-acre riverfront public space in Downtown Fort Lauderdale.
Located at 32 East Las Olas Boulevard, the park has reopened following a comprehensive transformation led by Perkins&Will. The redesign introduces expanded green space, shaded seating areas, interactive play features, Downtown Fort Lauderdale’s first designated dog run, and new public art installations, all intended to strengthen the park’s role as a civic gathering space along the New River.
Credit: Fort Lauderdale DDA, Huizenga Park Foundation.
The grand reopening took place across Saturday, January 24, and Sunday, January 25, welcoming residents and visitors back to the city’s signature downtown park. Festivities included a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by six-time Emmy Award-winning journalist Laurie Jennings, guided park tours, a programming showcase, a movie night on the lawn, the Sunny Side Up Market, yoga sessions, and a guided sunset meditation. The weekend events were designed to reintroduce the park’s new layout and amenities while highlighting its expanded capacity for public programming.
Huizenga Park occupies a prominent riverfront site in the heart of Downtown Fort Lauderdale, an area that continues to serve as a major economic engine for the city and Broward County. The downtown district currently supports an estimated $43 billion in annual economic impact, accounting for roughly one-third of the county’s total economic output and approximately one-quarter of its jobs.
Credit: Fort Lauderdale DDA, Huizenga Park Foundation.
The reopening also coincided with a significant philanthropic contribution to the project. Longtime Fort Lauderdale philanthropists Michele and Chuck West Jr., founder of Pet Supermarket, donated $1.5 million to the Huizenga Park Foundation. The contribution dedicates the park’s new Civic Lawn in their name and places the West family alongside the Huizenga family as Legacy Diamond donors.
In addition, the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority and the Huizenga Park Foundation announced the launch of a new health and wellness programming series at the park, presented by Cleveland Clinic. The initiative will offer free, year-round movement, mindfulness, and recovery programming, further expanding Huizenga Park’s role as an active public amenity within Downtown Fort Lauderdale.
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Great addition to the downtown where there is little green space aside from the riverfront. Hope they continue to improve the riverwalk. They passed a $200m bond to fix up the other parks around town, which is great to see because it seems like parks have traditionally been an afterthought in Southern Florida. Now we need bike paths, pedestrian lighting, and sidewalks to improve the quality of life for the ever increasing year round resident population.
Great improvement. Pay property anytime it looks good for parks.. also work with developers for pocket parks on a park of the development . They’ll bend. We have the goods not the developers.