South Florida Sun-Sentinel (Sunday)
‘We are in constant fear of these planes’
Deadly crash renews calls to boost airport safety
Jhonier Marquez never imagined how much of a risk it was living near an airport until he witnessed the horror unfold: Just footsteps from his home, a plane plummeted and struck an SUV, causing a fiery collision that killed a 4-year-old boy and two men.
“I saw the flames all over the street and on my yard,” recalled Marquez, 49, who ran toward the crash site to help. “When I looked, I saw the plane and I said, ‘Oh my God!’ ”
Monday’s deadly crash in Pembroke Pines has once again cast the spotlight on the plane wrecks that happen near small airports across South Florida each year. This time, the tragedy happened just outside North Perry Airport, renewing calls to boost airport safety and prevent more deaths.
Neighbors say they live in fear of the next crash to come. Pembroke Pines residents have been flooding the city with concerns, said Tom Good, a city commissioner whose district includes the airport. “This has just been a really horrible situation for us,” he said.
Longtime concerns
Residents who live near North Perry Airport have long feared plane crashes there.
North Perry, which sits near the borders of Pembroke Pines, Hollywood and Miramar, is among the many small airports that were built decades ago in South Florida, with homes subsequently built around them as development proceeded through the years.
North Perry, a 78-year-old airport, was first a federal training facility for pilots before heading off to World War II. The surrounding communities are home to largely working-class people and families. Residents say they moved there because of
line and financial services company Merrill Lynch has already snapped up the entire third floor of the office space.
The office space that Atlantic Crossing is bringing to the downtown area helps a niche that has gone under the radar for years, according to the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce.
“It is sorely needed,” says Stephanie Immelman, the chamber’s president and CEO. “This town has been wanting for Class
A office space. Yes, we’re very busy at night, but it’s a little ‘Mayberry’ during the day.”
Simon agrees and adds that the landscaped areas are equally important.
“They’re going to even have parks, too, these green spaces where people can sit and enjoy themselves,” she says.
What about parking and the neighbors?
DeVere says the project has been modified many times over the last 12 years of planning, setbacks and more planning (they finally broke ground in 2018), but one of the things that has remained a theme throughout is that the project had to be pedestrian friendly.
“We don’t care as much about cars,” he says before adding, “We hate parking. It’s such a pain. It’s not good. It’s unsightly [and] causes conflict with pedestrians. It’s something that is not fun to deal with.”
So Atlantic Crossing is putting its parking garages underground, out of sight.
“This was a huge, huge move on our part and a very expensive one,” he explains.
“Below grade in South Florida is no small feat. It’s a very expensive undertaking, but one we felt we really need to be committed to in order to achieve the design goals… make the entire development feel like its part of the old Delray.”
There will be more underground parking when the next sequence is done (possibly 2023), where the Atlantic Plaza sits today. That underground and garage parking will be completely wrapped around and concealed by high-end condominiums.
DeVere admits that there has been some tensions with the local community.
“There are some residents who want Delray to stay the way it was,” he says. “They like the village by the sea concept. I get that. That led us to try to be really sensitive in the way we approach the project. The architecture is very diverse. Hopefully through landscaping and selection [of tenants] it’ll feel comfortable, like it’s been there awhile. It fits [as a] continuation of Atlantic Avenue — consistent with the scene that is happening in Delray.”