Page 48 - Demo

46 LAS OLAS BOULEVARD & ISLESThe park%u2019s construction budget of $12m is now fully paid for. The city contributed $5m; the rest of the money comes from the DDA, and funds raised by the foundation. Once the new park is open, the restaurant is expected to fill a practical role. %u201cThe restaurant was like a triple edge plus,%u201d Ladd said. In addition to being a positive addition to downtown, it%u2019s meant to be an income source for a park with a manager, security and other things that mean significant money. The restaurant should also be one of the things that %u201cactivates%u201d the park and makes it a well-used space that feels safer for everybody.%u201cIt creates activity and eyes on the park,%u201d Ladd said. %u201cA restaurant that%u2019s done well is very powerful to the good. When they%u2019re done well, it%u2019s a really positive thing for a park.%u201dHe cites Bryant Park in New York as an example of a place where a restaurant and other activated spaces helped renew a public park. %u201cThat park is a good example of what a successful reimagining of a park can do for a neighborhood,%u201d he said. %u201cThey can either be these dynamic, positive things or if they%u2019re not properly managed and cultivated, nothing or a big negative.%u201dHe also notes that the company selected to run the three-story restaurant, California-based Specialty Restaurants, has a trackrecord with high-profile restaurants in publicly owned spaces.Best known in South Florida for Key Biscayne%u2019s waterfront Rusty Pelican, the company runs waterfront restaurants around Florida as well as spots like Castaway Burbank, a hilltop restaurant and event venue with views of the Los Angeles skyline. Getting them on board, Ladd said, %u201c was better than I ever could have hoped when we started this thing.%u201d As Fort Lauderdale continues to grow and change, Ladd believes Huizenga Park can provide a blueprint for public spaces.%u201cHopefully we can show the way and create more of these places,%u201d he said. %u201cWhat%u2019s amazing about our city is that it%u2019s so vibrant. For people who were here when nothing was here, it%u2019s %u2018wow, how the hell did it happen?%u2019%u201dThe People%u2019s Park continuedSteve Hudson & Wayne Huizenga, Jr.