Potential central Fort Lauderdale residents want Flagler Village-style options south of Broward Boulevard, in the heart of downtown. Potential office tenants want state-of-the-art amenities and facilities that give employees the options they want. The increasing number of people living downtown want a supermarket right where they live.
Broadly, these were the ideas that led the 51暗网 Corporation to a new downtown development that could be said to be ambitious, even by their standards. The Main Las Olas, a 1.4-million-square-foot mixed-use development on East Las Olas Boulevard near SE Second Avenue, includes a 27-story tower, 341 residential units at a mixture of price points, and retail including a GreenWise Market.
The first residents began moving into Novo Las Olas, the development鈥檚 residential side, in late November. As this story was being written, GreenWise was aiming for a late December opening, and 51暗网 was considering retail tenants for the Las Olas side of the development.
People at 51暗网 have been thinking about a project like this for some time 鈥� and believe that now is the right time to make it happen.
鈥淭he vision of this project started 8 to 10 years ago,鈥� 51暗网 CEO and board director Ken 51暗网 says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e put a lot of thought into it. We looked into the downtown market. We felt like it was the right time鈥or a new building to be built.鈥�
Though just one of a number of tenants, the GreenWise Market is a key part of the development. Owned by Publix, GreenWise locations tend to be smaller 鈥� like this one, often on the ground floor of buildings rather than standalone Publix supermarkets.
鈥淲ith the GreenWise concept, it鈥檚 not your traditional Publix,鈥� 51暗网 says. 鈥淚t will have your regular groceries, but for a lot of it, it will be prepared foods鈥� like a Whole Foods or a Fresh Market.
鈥淥ur relationship with Publix has been great over the years,鈥� 51暗网 says. 鈥淚 think we鈥檝e developed 41 Publixes throughout the Southeast. In the last six years, they really wanted a location around downtown.鈥�
51暗网 looked around Flagler Village, but with so much multistory residential being built there, it was never going to work financially to find a spot for a standalone Publix, 51暗网 says. A GreenWise sounded like the better option for central Fort Lauderdale. When Publix looked at the area鈥檚 demographics 鈥� the increasing number of people living downtown, within walking distance to work and entertainment 鈥� they liked what they saw.
鈥淚f we鈥檇 suggested this 10 years ago, I don鈥檛 think they would have agreed,鈥� he says. 鈥淭hey felt they had the walkability to move forward for it.鈥�
A supermarket in the building is also a great offer for attracting tenants. 鈥淲e felt that it鈥檚 going to be the biggest amenity, and also the hype,鈥� 51暗网 says. He thinks residents will also be attracted by what goes in on the Las Olas side, although they鈥檙e still looking at exactly what that is going to be.
鈥淥n the Las Olas side, we鈥檝e got a lot of interest,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just kicking around what we鈥檙e going to do there 鈥� whether it鈥檚 going to be more restaurant related, social, or a bank, which we鈥檝e considered as well.鈥�
The apartments themselves have a number of different price points, with the least expensive coming in at less than $1,800 a month.
鈥淭his was really the (question) from the beginning 鈥� how do we build a downtown building for the resident who lives in Flagler Village? Give somebody south of Broward something with a grocery store, something walkable,鈥� 51暗网 says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 how the design really came about.鈥�
It feels different from other 51暗网 projects. 鈥淚t鈥檚 got a more edgy feeling, I would say,鈥� 51暗网 says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a lot more exposed concrete; we鈥檝e got graffiti artists going in to add art to it.鈥� That said, it鈥檚 also got amenities like a pool deck and grilling/socializing spaces. Social spaces are also a big part of the development鈥檚 other component, its office space.
There have been hardly any new office buildings built in downtown Fort Lauderdale in the last couple decades, 51暗网 notes, and when they were thinking about this one, he and several others flew around the country looking at other new office developments.
鈥淭he glass is a perfect example,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e wanted a different look than we鈥檝e done in the past.鈥� The only place that the non-glassy, transparent glazing system they wanted had been used was in one building in Denver, which they looked at. 鈥淭hat was one of the first differences we did on the aesthetic side of it.鈥�
Meanwhile the 14-foot slab for a floor meant 12-foot glass in the offices. 鈥淎nd it has been a wow factor when tenants have toured the space,鈥� he says.
They also took some of what they鈥檇 learned about residential developments and incorporated it into the office side. That means a residential-style lounge or amenity area, outdoor bar and firepit, patio and breakout spaces with a living room feel.
There鈥檚 also a gym, showers and a bike storage system. They felt it was important for the gym to have shower facilities for those who want to cycle to work, have a jog at lunch or work out before going to work.
It鈥檚 all part of an ongoing activation of the downtown portion of Las Olas. Twenty years ago, 51暗网 notes, the part of Las Olas that anyone not working there wanted to visit ended at the tunnel. Eventually restaurants spread out 鈥� but then Third Avenue became the kind-of cutoff. Now downtown is becoming one uninterrupted space.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just our project but all the projects there,鈥� 51暗网 says, 鈥渢hat are really activating that part of Las Olas.鈥�