The Traina Companies, a privately held New York and Delray Beach-based dynamic group of holdings in the real estate development, construction and hospitality industries, unanimously received the final zoning approval necessary from Ft. Lauderdale’s City Commissioners for its 1,351,160 square feet of mixed-use new construction, dubbed FATcity (Florida Arts and Technology), located at 300 N. Andrews Avenue in Ft. Lauderdale.
This announcement moves FATcity from a proposed to a planned development pivotal to the city. A true Transit Oriented Development (TOD) mixed-use project, FATcity is situated in the City Center (RAC-CC) Special Zoning District and connects the Central Business and Arts Districts through pedestrian-oriented walkable streets, access to Brightline’s High-Speed Rail station within two blocks of the property, and a Wave Streetcar stop on-site.
Fronting an entire city block along the east side of Andrews Avenue between NE 3rd and 4th Streets, FATcity is an assemblage of five contiguous parcels of land totaling 2.69-acres and will be comprised of two, 30-story towers featuring 270,000 square feet of office, retail and a potential for hospitality; 612 residential units; and 1,327 covered parking spaces.
“This announcement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of state and local leaders, along with the Greater Ft. Lauderdale Alliance, who together have to positioned Ft. Lauderdale to emerge as the next tech hub to rival Austin and The Triangle in North Carolina – while also attracting other great companies in various industries,” said Joseph Traina, Jr., Principal, The Traina Companies. “The quality of life, cost of living, no personal state income taxes, transportation modules, skilled workforce, and access to hundreds of thousands of students from local universities can rival, if not surpass, those of large-scale tech hubs like San Francisco and Silicon Valley.”
This development marks the first new Class A office space developed in Broward’s Ft. Lauderdale submarket in more than a decade. As such, FATcity’s office component is designed to exceed today’s workplace needs, boasting large, open floorplates ideal for co-working, collaboration and networking, open-air retail spaces, and advanced high-speed technology. Additionally, to complement its proximity to local universities, The Traina Companies seeks to create a platform where employers can meet, train, and hire the next generation of the skilled workforce – this will be accomplished by providing internships, continuing education, and fulfilling the need for an incubator for the area to connect and collaborate under one roof.
As an amenity rich, job creation engine that will spotlight and enhance the cultural, educational, and lifestyle aspects of the region, FATcity will become the Gateway to Ft. Lauderdale. Employers and employees, residents, lifestyle retailers and consumers, as well as leisure and business travelers, will complement each other and the overall essence of the project.
“With our business roots deep in New York and Delray, we have seen first-hand how Ft. Lauderdale has become to Miami what Brooklyn is to Manhattan,” continued Traina. “The urban planners and commissioners of Ft. Lauderdale were wise beyond measure to create the RAC-CC zoning for the downtown area which has spurred development on a scale never before seen in Ft. Lauderdale.”
