WMG Volume 7 • Issue 16 Wilton Manors Gazette August 13, 2020 FACEBOOK.COM/GROUPS/WMGAZETTE COMMUNITY Sprouts Farmers Market to Replace Proposed Walmart in Oakland Park

By Christiana Lilly

A Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store residents, dog park, walking path with could soon be on its way to Oakland Park tree canopy, a boardwalk along the Middle Boulevard, as well as residential and green River mangroves, shared-ride service space. loading area, and a dine-in restaurant. The first reading of the ordinance Oakland Park Mayor Matthew proposal for the former Kmart lot at Sparks told the Wilton Manors Gazette Oakland Park Boulevard and Sixth Avenue he was pleased with the updated was approved unanimously plans, which included by the commission present. recommendations by Commissioner Sara THE KMART the commission such as Guevrekian was not there not having a drive-thru to vote. CLOSED IN 2014 restaurant. “I am really, really “I’m glad that it’s out pleased and very excited AND THE LOT of the hands of Walmart not only about the project and now in the hands of but also that it incorporates WAS PURCHASED Ram [Realty Services],” the possibilities of the BY WALMART. said Spark, who said he future, the entire Middle has never been a fan of River being a public space, HOWEVER, Walmart. “They’re turning it’s great,” Oakland Park this from a basic big box Vice Mayor Jane Bolin said THAT PLAN WAS store with a parking lot to during the meeting. a lot of greenery.” The Kmart closed in 2014 DROPPED WHEN As for traffic, Robert and the lot was purchased Lochrie of Lochrie & by Walmart. However, THE COMPANY Chakas noted during the that plan was dropped BUTTED HEADS meeting that there would when the company butted be a reduction of 1,000 heads with the city. Ram WITH THE CITY. trips per day compared to a Realty Services applied Walmart being on the site. A concept for the new location of Sprouts. Photo courtesy of Ram Realty. to purchase the 10 gross- “We’re not only putting acre property as mixed-use land, which less traffic on the roadways, we’re was unanimously approved by the city’s improving the function of the roadways,” that was left in the community when a new location in Deerfield Beach. “This is Planning and Zoning Board in July. he said during the meeting. Lucky’s Market closed in February. Aldi, the best possible scenario that could have The company presented its plans to the Spouts is an Arizona-based grocery another grocery store, will be moving into ever happened and now that they have commission Aug. 5 to include a Sprouts store that offers an array of natural, that vacant space. conditional use, it’s basically a done deal. grocery store, retail space, apartments, organic, and gluten-free foods. Sparks “I already signed up for their shopping They can now purchase the property.” multi-family townhomes, a BBQ area for said that hopefully this will fill the void app,” Sparks said of Sprouts, which also has WMG

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •8.13.2020 • • • 21 COMMUNITY WMG Oakland Park Unveils New Designs August 13, 2020 • Volume 7 • Issue 16 for Fire Stations, Community Center 2520 N. Dixie Highway • Wilton Manors, FL 33305 Phone: 954-530-4970 Fax: 954-530-7943 By Christiana Lilly Publisher • Norm Kent [email protected] Rendering Credit for North Andrews Gardens Community Center: Courtesy of Currie Sowards Aguila Architects. Associate publisher / Executive Editor • Jason Parsley Oakland Park is getting a new look, [email protected] with the city presenting designs for its new public works facility, two fire Copyeditor • Kimberly Swan stations, and community center. Editorial The projects are a part of the city’s Art Director • Brendon Lies Comprehensive Facilities Plan, which [email protected] is funded by a $40 million general obligation bond approved by voters in News Editor • Sallie James 2018. Correspondents “We have to get our firefighters Christiana Lilly• Sal Torre • James Oaksun into decent fire stations,” Oakland Staff Photographers Park Mayor Matthew Sparks told the J.R. Davis • Carina Mask • Steven Shires Wilton Manors Gazette. “All of our Sales & Marketing community centers are … beyond their expected use.” For ad placement in the Wilton Manors Gazette, The unveiled designs were new contact 954-530-4970 buildings for Fire Stations 9 and 20, the North Andrews Gardens Community Sales Manager • Justin Wyse [email protected] Center, and the Public Works Facility, which will include an emergency Advertising Sales Associate • Edwin Neimann operations center and a two-story [email protected] parking garage. There are also plans to build a new library to replace the Ethel M. Gordon Oakland Park Library, Accounting Services by CG Bookkeeping relocating City Hall to Oakland Park Square, basketball and pickleball character of Oakland Park. and also renovating South Florida Gay News is published weekly. The opinions courts, and more. “We’re trying to get every dime out of this expressed in columns, stories, and letters to the editor do not Fire Station 87. OAKLAND PARK The design of the new $40 million bond that we can possible,” he represent the opinions of SFGN, or the Publisher. You should not presume the sexual orientation of individuals based on their The library and MEMBER CITY MANAGER buildings is being handled said. names or pictorial representations. Furthermore the word “gay” in community center by Zyscovich Architects in And it’s that bond that is making the SFGN should be interpreted to be inclusive of the entire LGBT will be built in what community. All of the material/columns that appears in print DAVID HEBERT Miami and the structures projects possible during the country’s and online, including articles used in conjunction with the AP, is will be known as will follow the same design economic recession, caused by the COVID-19 protected under federal copyright and intellectual property laws, City Park. The green and is jealously guarded by the newspaper. Nothing published ESTIMATED THAT scheme, keeping the city pandemic. In a press release from the city, may be reprinted in whole or part withoutMEMBER getting written consent space will include buildings cohesive. Sparks Oakland Park City Manager David Hebert from the Publisher, at his law office, at [email protected]. a playground and THE PROJECTS SFGN, as a private corporation, reserves the right to enforce said the commission wanted estimated that the projects will create more its own standards regarding the suitability of advertising copy, splash pad, a butterfly to be fiscally responsible than 3,000 jobs locally. illustrations and photographs. garden, exercise area, WILL CREATE while also keeping the “Our new buildings will be models of urban AssociatedMEMBER Press MORE THAN 3,000 civic spaces that are sustainable, reliable, safe, and beautiful,” Hebert said. “While JOBS LOCALLY. we remain in challenging times, future construction of these buildings offer several opportunities including lower interest MEMBER Copyright © 2020 South Florida Gay News.com, Inc. rates and costs for building materials, and the creation of more than 3,000 local jobs created by private development projects planned in Oakland Park.” The project is a part of the city’s 10-year redevelopment plan, which is expected to be complete in 2029. This will coincide with the city’s 100th anniversary. “I won’t be seated then, but I certainly will be out there cheering it on,” Sparks said. “We continue to strive to make sure that our 100th birthday is something to truly be celebrated, with the completion of all these Did you know? There are over 2,500 different species buildings.” WMG of palm trees found throughout Florida. How many can you name? Photo via Needpix. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • www.WMGAZETTE.com • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

22 • 8.13.2020 2 • August 13, 2020 REAL ESTATE WilMa Real Estate: What’s New?

By James Oaksun

Until recently, I thought it might be considered to be in bad The constant upward trend in valuation is readily apparent. In the taste to report or even comment on real estate here in South first quarter of 2013 the median sale price of a single family home in Florida, given the other realities with which people have Wilton Manors was $309,000. In the second quarter of 2020 – the been faced. However, since we may have to adapt to a “new quarter ended on this past June 30th – the median sale price had normal” – at least in the short run – I thought you might be increased to $523,000. interested in what’s been happening with the numbers here In other words, the median price increased by 69 percent over that in Our Fair City. The business of buying and selling homes seven-year period. That’s 7.5 percent per year on a compound annual goes on, after all. basis. This article will concentrate on pricing trends – the dollars Now let’s consider Chart Two, which shows the median prices for the and cents of it. In a future column I will discuss sales counts three main Wilton neighborhoods – West (meaning west of Andrews), and the all important “inventory” metric. Center (Andrews to the train tracks), and East (east of the train tracks). Take a look at Chart One, where I have shown the changes Here we can see that pricing in East Wilton consistently tracks above in overall Island City pricing going back to the first quarter the other two neighborhoods by roughly $100,000. Something to of 2013. The solid blue line is the 50th percentile or median note here is the rather sharp drop in East Wilton pricing in the last – half the sales were above that price level, and half below. year, particularly in the last six months. This is worthy of further In addition, I am showing dashed lines for the core range of investigation. pricing – called in statistics the “intraquartile range” – with What does this mean for the typical Wilton homeowner? Well, the green dashed line the 75th percentile and the red dashed suppose you bought the typical house in Center Wilton in early 2013, line the 25th percentile. and sold it this year. If you put 10 percent down and took a 30-year mortgage, after paying closing costs and real estate commissions you would have made an eye-popping 527 percent on your capital invested – about 30 percent per year, compounded. THE BUSINESS OF You can make a lot of money in real estate – IF you buy at the right BUYING AND SELLING HOMES time and prices go up. James Oaksun, Florida’s Real Estate Geek(SM), is Broker-Owner of New GOES ON, AFTER ALL. Realty Concepts in Fort Lauderdale. In addition to having degrees from Dartmouth and Cornell, he is a Graduate of the Realtor Institute (GRI).

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