Ten years ago, the oceanfront town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea (LBTS) transformed its downtown corridor into an inviting and modern gathering space that has since attracted thousands more visitors each year. A decade later, LBTS partnered with Fort Lauderdale-based Architectural Alliance Landscape (AAL), the same construction manager and Landscape Architect from the original project, to embark on a new effort to better meet the trending use of its downtown restaurants and shops.
A few years ago, as the COVID pandemic lingered, the downtown restaurants had to find new ways to accommodate customers. Town commissioners and management empathized with that struggle and helped facilitate more outdoor dining spaces by permitting restaurants to use the existing street parking spaces directly in front of their establishments. The outdoor dining experience grew in popularity, even as pandemic fears faded. Meanwhile, LBTS was committed to expanding the walkability of the corridor that leads directly to the Atlantic Ocean.

The resulting project, completed in November 2023, features permanent outdoor dining space distinctively separated from the expanded walking path by custom-designed site walls containing beautiful landscape. New lighting highlights the landscape and hardscape improvements, such as new brick pavers. The entire project was completed while all businesses remained open daily.

LBTS selected Hugh Johnson and his firm AAL to design the beautification improvements. Johnson had led the original design team for Commercial Blvd. corridor ten years ago, so he was familiar with the town's needs and wants, both functional and aesthetic. The final project involved replacing existing brick paver sidewalks with new concrete pavers designed to better withstand the corridor's increased foot traffic. The sidewalks were widened slightly, and street parking spaces eliminated, drainage and grades were adjusted, light poles and lighted bollards were added, and geometric, precast concrete feature walls were placed to separate the new landscape and irrigation areas from both the pedestrian and exterior dining spaces.

Safety Performance
On a daily basis, construction work was carried out within a few feet of operational businesses and restaurants. This required constant patrolling to ensure all barriers, signage, and temporary barricades were placed effectively. All work was coordinated daily with business owners and LBTS employees to reduce the impact as much as possible. Noise and dust control were critical during the project to protect the public, especially as temporary outdoor dining continued during construction.

 
Visitors to downtown LBTS expect access to the beach, so extensive efforts were made to clearly guide visitors to the barricaded pedestrian walkway that led to the ocean. Barricades and guide signage directed pedestrians and vehicles to parking, businesses, and the beach. Because LBTS attracts both visitors and seasonal residents, the guide signs had to be clear and easily visible to reduce confusion and ensure safety.

Community Relations
The project team strived to maintain positive relationships with the engaged, close-knit community of LBTS, where multiple businesses were still recovering from the years-long pandemic. In order to remain responsive to the concerns of affected businesses while also moving the project goals forward, LBTS hosted several public input meetings before construction for business owners and residents to voice their concerns and suggestions on design elements. AAL selected materials that were ultimately approved by the Commission, and the community was invited to select the color of the lighting and the precast low feature wall. These low walls serve a vital function in the project, as they define the outer boundary of the caf?(C) dining space, retain all existing canopy trees and utilities, keep dining patrons out of landscape areas, and feature elements that match LBTS's comprehensive 1950s Miami modern design vision.

Time Constraints
Although the installation team was lucky to avoid a hurricane, despite its schedule overlapping with the annual hurricane season, an unnamed storm with hurricane-force wind gusts dumped more than a foot of rain in South Florida in November 2023. Over the course of a week, four new, large, recently planted and staked palm trees came down, taking signage and traffic barricades with them. LBTS crews moved the trees out of the way until the weather conditions improved and the landscape contractor could re-stand the trees.

Artistic Signage
The aluminum artistic signage is one of the most visible parts of the project and highlights the town's commitment to supporting its businesses. Smaller, LBTS-themed 'menu board' signs featuring changeable restaurant menus are shaped to represent local sea life. An arrow sign directs people towards the beach, parking, or more dining options, and a large, lighted informational sign offers a colorful map directory of the 20 businesses and restaurants downtown alongside extra space for promoting LBTS events.

Environmental Awareness and Protection
Increasing the walkability of downtown LBTS and encouraging outdoor dining was central to this beautification project. Both goals support sustainability and reduce dependency on fossil fuels (i.e. gasoline for vehicles and energy to cool building interiors in a hot climate). Management best practices were also used to ensure maximum sustainability for this environmentally conscious oceanfront town. Most construction products and materials, like the poured-in-place concrete, concrete pavers, and precast walls, were sourced locally to reduce transportation costs and environmental impact.

Protecting existing canopy trees was a top priority and challenge, as they remained during construction and needed sufficient green space in the final design. Another priority was selecting salt-tolerant plants that highlight LBTS's tropical locale, require limited irrigation, and establish quickly in ocean breeze wind conditions. Approximately 85 percent of the shrubs are drought-tolerant, and 99 percent of the trees and palms are drought-tolerant and/or native. The project's drainage modifications and improvements - like installing additional stormwater inlets and adding new, pervious planting beds - contribute to the town's resiliency to climate change. Chameleon Ways' Addapave Tree Pit System was also used at the bases of 12 new trees to create a highly porous surface.

A critical environmental consideration when working near the ocean is sea turtle protection, as many species are dependent upon coastal areas for all or part of their life cycle. As LBTS is a significant turtle nesting area on Florida's East Coast, the lighting selected for this project complies with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission requirements to ensure sea turtle hatchlings do not become disoriented and wander inland, where they often die of dehydration or predation. The 'turtle-friendly' amber lighting on the new light poles and bollards can be switched on during the nesting season and revert to normal lighting outside of turtle season.

Planning Ahead
LBTS installed removable bollards to reduce costs and the amount of time Commercial Boulevard needs to be shut down for use during special events, such as holiday festivals. These bollards can be used in lieu of the typical water-filled barricades and can be removed quickly to allow access for emergency vehicles.

Building With Resilience
One of the most satisfying aspects of this project was the ability to complete all these renovations on time despite several weather-related delays and without completely shutting out its visitors and residents. Though the pandemic brought much hardship, the Town of Lauderdale-By-The-Sea found an opportunity to increase their community connectivity by reworking the space they already had. The final product is a vibrant, welcoming place where people of all ages can enjoy the weather, the food, and each other.