Blanche Ely Avenue due a $3.1 million upgrade

Aug 10, 2023

By The New Pelican Newspaper | on June 06, 2023

By Diane Emeott-Korzen | New Pelican Writer

Pompano Beach – A plan to beautify Blanche Ely Avenue (Northwest 6 Avenue), one of the main entrance ways into the Northwest CRA District, was approved at the recent CRA meeting.

The Tactical Urbanism/Beautification Plan calls for beautifying Northwest 6 Avenue between Atlantic Boulevard and Northwest 15 Street. "The Northwest (CRA) District has slum and blight. This is needed," said Commissioner Beverly Perkins, who represents the district. The CRA has allocated up to $3.1 million for this project, a price tag that Commissioner Barry Moss balked at.

"To me, it's more of a maintenance issue," said Moss, the only commissioner to vote against the project. Perkins replied, "I think it should be done, even if it's more than $3 million."

After Perkins questioned if the estimated cost was correct, CRA Project Manager Kimberly Vazquez emphasized that $3.1 million was allocated but, when finished, it may not cost that much. The last time improvements were made to the street was in 2012 – $700,000 was spent on improvements, including landscape beautification, transit shelters, sidewalk and lighting, according to Vazquez.

Since a significant amount of time has passed, the Northwest CRA Advisory Committee and the CRA Board made this a priority project in FY 2023. The Tactical Urbanism Plan recommends short-term improvements to make furnishings along the avenue consistent; including garbage cans, benches and bus shelters. More long-term goals include replacing light poles, creating a parking lot for Annie Adderly Gillis Park, and removing roundabouts to replace them with raised intersection tables.

Said Vazquez, "Some elements can wait. Others should be done now, as the area is blighted."

Perkins asked about removing banner poles along the avenue that are currently not used and outdated. City Manager Greg Harrison told the board, "This is my responsibility to do it . . . it will be taken care of." Vazquez said it is "yet to be determined" if removal of the poles would come from the CRA or city.

Harrison reminded the board that the project was voted on two years ago, before CRA board members Moss and Fournier were on the dais. "The rest of you did vote to go forward with it." Designs now need to be done, and brought back. Bigger projects like getting rid of roundabouts (for speed tables) and adding parking to Annie Adderly, will also come back before the CRA Board.

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