650-space parking garage set to open

A glitzy addition to traditionally drab parking facilities is coming to Fort Lauderdale beach this week.

The new $21 million, 650-space Las Olas Parking Garage is set to open Thursday at the northeast end of the Las Olas Boulevard Bridge along the Intracoastal Waterway.

But if you think that means more parking spaces at the beach, think again. On the day the garage opens, the Oceanside Parking Lot at 400 Seabreeze Boulevard — on the corner of Las Olas Boulevard and State Road A1A — will close to prepare for construction of the next phase of the $49 million Oceanfront Park and Plaza project, which includes two new waterfront parks.

Existing parking spaces on the south side of the Las Olas bridge will also be replaced with recreational green space and a promenade extending north along the Intracoastal Waterway and under the bridge to the new garage.

The project is scheduled to be completed by 2020.

It is the fruits of a 30-year effort to transform Fort Lauderdale from a Spring Break mecca to one that encourages development of upscale hotels, luxury condos and a trendy beach image.

The most obvious feature of the new garage is the attentiongrabbing, $6 million LED display that surrounds the exterior and can emulate everything from ocean waves to fireworks through pulsating lights.

Designers call it sea turtlefriendly because the garage is two blocks from the beach and its lighting can be dimmed during nesting season so hatchlings won’t be drawn away from the ocean.

Cars will be able to park in the garage for up to 10 hours at a rate of $2 per hour.

The garage also has 24-hour security, restrooms, bicycle

lockers, signs displaying parking availability, and a top-floor deck for events with scenic backdrops of the Intracoastal Waterway and the city.

The multi-purpose park and plaza project is designed to attract residents and visitors to festivals, art shows, concerts and cultural performances. Plans include an interactive waterplayground for children, tree-lined sidewalks, sprawling green space, a landscaped dune wall, an architectural canopy, and built-in seating, officials said.