Wayne Huizenga Jr. came to Huizenga Park, the downtown Fort Lauderdale park named after his father, early Saturday morning to walk around the renovated space before the ribbon-cutting ceremony. What he saw brought tears to his eyes.
After two years of construction, the $15 million makeover was finally complete: the glittering fountain, the children’s play area, the dog park, the riverwalk, the green space and the terraces, all overlooking the New River. Huizenga quickly put his sunglasses back on to hide his tears.
“The park turned out even more incredible than I thought it would,” he said.
Fort Lauderdale residents and city officials are celebrating the grand reopening of Huizenga Park on Saturday and Sunday with music, performances, poetry, yoga classes, a community market and other events organized by the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority, the independent agency that owns and operates the park. Immediately after elected officials and city leaders ceremoniously cut the ribbon, the park was busy with kids running around, dogs playing, performers juggling and neighbors chatting…