FORT LAUDERDALE — There's no laughter on this playground. Chatting between friends is prohibited. Breaking bread at picnic tables is prohibited.
On December 7th, a lock was installed at Dottie Mancini Park in Fort Lauderdale. More than two months later, the park remains closed.
Neighbors who love the small park are outraged. Patience is running thin and they want to know when Dottie Mancini Park will reopen.
Chavarria City Manager told the South Florida Sun Sentinel that they are doing everything in their power to open the park as soon as possible.
But fans of the park fear it could become a bargaining chip in a proposed land swap between Fort Lauderdale and Broward Health that could take months to resolve. are doing.
Broward Health, also known as the North Broward Hospital District, owns Broward Health Imperial Point, a 1.2-acre parcel located at 6520 NE 22nd Ave., the land below the park.
Mayor Dean Trantalis said the city would like to purchase the land, but has been told it is not for sale.
John Herbst, the district's zoning commissioner, said he has been receiving criticism from angry residents on social media platforms since the park closed.
“Residents are very dissatisfied,” he said. “They understand that we are doing everything we can to reopen the park. But it's really up to Broward Health. They own the land. If they do not agree, we cannot force them to do so.”
Herbst said the city has asked Broward Health to enter into a temporary lease to keep the park open for the next six months.
“They said no,” Herbst said. “They didn't say why. They just said no.”
For the past 25 years, Fort Lauderdale has leased the land from Broward Health for $1 a year. The lease expired in November.
It was unlocked less than a month after the lease expired.
“Every effort is being made to open the park, but we need to recognize the cost to taxpayers,” Trantalis said.
How much will the new lease agreement cost taxpayers?
“We don't know yet,” Trantalis said. “We haven't come to an agreement yet.”
Chavarria told the Sun Sentinel that he and Broward Health CEO Shane Strum, who was Gov. Ron DeSantis' chief of staff, have been working for the past two months on plans to expand the park and hospital district that have been closed. He said he had talked about it several times.
Chavarria said the city is currently working on a new agreement that would allow the city to lease park space from Broward Health for $24,203 a month for one year. The total bill would be close to $300,000.
Chavarria said the agreement could be approved for up to a year without the commission's approval.
Meanwhile, Chavarria said he is trying to find another taxpayer-owned property in the hospital district and obtain a favorable long-term lease for Dottie Mancini Park to support the hospital district's expansion efforts. Stated.
If no such land is available, Chavarria said the city will purchase the parcel and exchange it for a better lease with Broward Health.
“We are looking for another piece of land where we can broker a deal to open Dotti Mancini Park to the public,” Chavarria said. “Once we find that space, we can renegotiate the lease and hopefully get it back to $1 a year.”
Once the new lease is signed, Fort Lauderdale can move forward with $1 million in park upgrades. The upgrades were promised under a $200 million park bond approved by voters more than five years ago.
As of Friday, the proposed one-year lease agreement was still being reviewed by the hospital district's legal team, Broward Health spokeswoman Jennifer Smith said.
“Both the city and Broward Health are pleased with the terms of the agreement and look forward to delivering exciting news to our residents in the near future,” Smith said.
But the mayor believes paying nearly $25,000 a month to rent space at Dottie Mancini Park is too expensive.
“This is a high number, and I think local residents should be compensated better,” Trantalis told the Sun-Sentinel.
Broward Health has asked the city to find a site for a 24-hour urgent care center in the area, city officials said.
How will it benefit Fort Lauderdale?
The hospital district's response to this question is as follows:
“Broward Health is always working with local governments to explore opportunities to create convenient access points of care for our communities,” Smith said. “We are always open to partnerships that create meaningful benefits for the community, such as Broward Health sharing private land with the city as a park.”
Another plan floated by Herbst last year to build an ER center in the parking lot of Fort Lauderdale's Beach Community Center quickly died down after protests from condominium residents along the Galt Ocean Mile.
In May, an overflow crowd showed up en masse to protest the idea at a town hall meeting hosted by Herbst, who represents a district on the northern tip of Fort Lauderdale's barrier island.
More than 250 elderly people gathered at the community center, some in wheelchairs or using canes, and they strongly advocated the proposal, saying they did not want to endure further traffic jams or emergency sirens blaring day and night.
“Broward Health remains interested in building a proposed freestanding ER center near the Galt River,” Herbst said. “They want to do it somewhere east of Federal Highway. We're looking for something they already have or can get. If they can do that, they'll be happy to do it at Dottie Mancini.・They will let you use the park.”
Neighboring residents still hold out hope for the park's early opening.
Among them is Betty Shelley, president of the Imperial Point Civic Association and chief organizer of many holiday parties held at the park over the years.
“People are very upset that the park is closed,” Sherry said. “The spring Easter egg hunt will be held there on March 23rd. I hear the park will be open by then.”
Jeanne Miro, a mother of three young children in Fort Lauderdale, is trying not to lose hope.
“We're trying to keep the pressure on,” she said. “But it seems to be getting out of the spotlight and being forgotten. This park is in our backyard. My kids miss the park so much. They ask me, “Mom, why do we have a park in our park?'' Can't you go?” I asked. Now I have to drive very far. ”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. X Follow me at @Susannah_Bryan
