Fort Lauderdale upgrade? 978-unit apartment complex could take place of old-time trailer park
FORT LAUDERDALE — A mammoth apartment complex with enough units for nearly 1,000 families would bring new life to a forlorn property that served as one of Fort Lauderdale’s largest mobile home parks for nearly six decades.
The Pan American Estates trailer park, once home to more than 200 families, would be transformed by a new 25-acre development that calls for 10 buildings ranging from five to eight stories. The land at 150 NW 68th St. sits south of McNab Road and west of Andrews Avenue, several blocks north of Cypress Creek Road not far from the Pompano Beach border.
The 978-unit project would be completed in 2031 and developed in three phases.
Each phase would have its own pool, clubhouse and amenities. Plans also call for pickleball courts and a park, with a 2.7-acre lake as the centerpiece.
The project, currently known as Cypress Development, is just what the city was asking for when it created Fort Lauderdale’s Uptown District, said Heather Moraitis, the neighborhood’s district commissioner until she stepped down in 2022.
“The Uptown Master Plan envisioned more residential units in District 1 and I’m glad to see more units are coming to help address our housing crisis,” Moraitis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “That was the goal.”
The apartments would range in size from 650 square feet to 1,343 square feet, with four townhomes, 72 three-bedroom units, 393 two-bedroom units, 487 one-bedroom units and 22 studio apartments.
“I think we do need more units for families to live in,” Moraitis said. “We need more housing. And that means more density.”
It’s a trend that’s not likely to stop anytime soon as land becomes more scarce and people continue to flock to the Sunshine State, experts say.
“We see that happening all over Fort Lauderdale,” Moraitis said. “In Coral Ridge, we’re seeing single-family lots turn into townhomes. And we’re seeing mobile home parks turn into apartment complexes.”
Traffic impact: 336 more trips
More density means more traffic.
But the extra traffic generated by the new complex should not significantly impact nearby intersections and roadways, according to a traffic study conducted by Kimley-Horn & Associates.
The project is expected to generate an additional 336 vehicular trips during morning rush hour and an additional 295 trips during evening rush hour, Kimley-Horn’s traffic experts say.
“It is expected that a portion of residents and guests will choose to walk, bike or use public transit to and from the proposed redevelopment,” the study says.
Commissioner John Herbst, elected by District 1 voters after Moraitis left office, says he regards traffic studies with a healthy dose of skepticism.
“We’ve seen a number of requests for parking reductions come through, and oftentimes the traffic planners are optimistic about the number of people who are going to use alternative modes of transportation like bicycles to get around,” he said. “We’ve seen this in Flagler Village and the downtown area. Anytime these traffic engineers suggest that people are not getting in cars, I take that with a grain of salt.”
The developer is hoping to build 1,544 parking spaces instead of the required 1,882 spaces.
Commission vote not automatic
Stephanie Toothaker, attorney for the developer, could not be reached for comment.
In the developer’s application with the city, Toothaker described the project as prioritizing connectivity through a network of sidewalks and curated spaces, including pedestrian paths, linear park connections and both active and passive pocket park areas.
“Along the lake, walking paths further enhance the sense of community,” Toothaker wrote. “Primary roads are activated with residential building entrances connecting to the network of public sidewalks to promote walking, cycling and the use of public transit to reinforce Uptown’s transit-oriented development principles.”
The project will not automatically come to the commission for a vote.
The only way the commission will have a say on the project is if one member calls it up for a vote and at least two others agree to hold a hearing.
Herbst says he thinks the project will have a major impact on the region and should require input from the commission.
“In general I support development,” Herbst told the Sun Sentinel. “I think development is very important for the continued growth of the city and also to accommodate all the folks who are moving here. In the long run, more inventory lowers pricing. But I’m not supportive of taking away affordable housing and replacing it with market-rate housing. I will be calling this one up.”
‘Been there forever’
Chris Williams, a real estate agent and lifelong resident, likes the idea of trading a trailer park for a modern new apartment complex with enough units to house nearly five times as many people.
“That’s a rubberstamp,” Williams said. “We need housing. We’re adding nearly 1,000 residential units. Plus, the goal was to bring more homes to the uptown area.”
The way Williams sees it, there’s another good reason to say farewell to those 239 trailers: A new apartment complex is more likely to withstand a Category 5 hurricane than a mobile home park.
“Pan American Estates was not a modern trailer park,” Williams said. “Those trailers were not in mint condition. They were falling down.”
The Pan American mobile home park dates to 1966, according to property records.
“It’s been there forever. I mean forever,” Williams said. “I remember it when I was kid. It’s got to be at least 50 years old. Trailer parks don’t exactly age well.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan