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April 30, 2026 City Hall Moves, Makes Way for Downtown Apartments
The building is being demolished to make way for 311 apartments, with 10 percent of those units set aside for workforce housing, along with 20,000 square feet of retail space. As an added benefit, the site will feature a "woonerf" — the Dutch term for a pedestrian-friendly street. These spaces welcome pedestrians and cyclists as well as drivers, who all travel together without traditional safety infrastructure such as curbs, traffic lights, and signs. In the woonerf concept, drivers slow down because of the proximity of walkers and bikers. More on alternatives to traditional city halls appears Downtown Idea Exchange newsletter. Click below to learn more about Downtown Idea Exchange and other resources for revitalizing downtowns and commercial corridors. 
6" x 9", softcover,
312 pages, $70.99. Recommended ReadingDowntowns: Revitalizing the Centers of Small Urban CommunitiesMost of the material on revitalizating downtowns is based on the experiences of large urban centers. In Downtowns: Revitalizing the Centers of Small Urban Communities, Editor Michael A. Burayidi and a team of experts seek to remedy that. Through a mix of insightful case studies and analysis the authors focus on the unique development problems of small downtowns and key principles for success. Major sections of the book cover:
The book clearly shows that downtown revitalization works in small as well as in large cities, and that common principles apply. Downtowns is just one of the many books on Economic Development available from the Downtown Development Center. |
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In 2025, the City of Oakland Park, FL, moved from its long-time city hall location into leased space in a new downtown office building. The move provided the city with both modern office space and an opportunity to bring new housing downtown.