OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Special Thanks to a One Great Board!

As we begin 2010, I want to pause and recognize every member on the Oakland Park Main Street board of directors.

From our Executive Director Siegi Constantine to our various committee chairs to our at-large board members (see list below), each and every one of them goes above and beyond the call of duty. So much work is completed each month thanks to all the efforts of the board, as a whole and individually.

From selecting a new artist for the public art project in Jaco Pastorius Park to producing the First Annual Classic Car Show (February 28 - see web site!) to marketing the downtown to potential tenants, the culture of Oakland Park is changing in part due to our Board.

For more information on Oakland Park Main Street or to review the bios of our board members, visit our web site www.oaklandparkmainstreet.com. You may also call me at 954-523-1980 with your questions, or contact our Executive Director Siegi Constantine at 954-565-2627.

NEW BOARD MEMBER FEATURE

Patricia Montalbano
Patricia Montalbano is the owner and broker of Montalbano Commercial Realty, Inc. since its inception fifteen years ago. Montalbano Commercial Realty specializes in the sale of large industrial properties and leasing of commercial properties. As a full Service Brokerage, we offer Real Estate Brokerage Services to Developers, Property Owners, and Local Business owners. Our Services include Sales, Leasing, Tenant Representation, Property Management, Development Investment Analysis, Construction Supervision, and much more. Our firm represents some of the largest and most influential Developers in Broward County, as well as local Family Trusts and Individual Owners. In 2008, Montalbano Commercial Realty was presented The Power Broker Award by CoStar Group for Broward County’s top brokerage firms.

In addition to owning her own Commercial Real Estate company, Patricia is very active in her work and home community. Before becoming a realtor, she served on the Children’s Home Society Board. Patricia serves on the Town of Davie Economic Development Board for the past five years and recently served on the Board of Directors for Goodwill Industries. She was the President of the Harbor Beach Homeowners Group and served on the Orleans Chateau Condo Association Board.

Patricia Montalbano has lived in the Fort Lauderdale area her entire life and was part of the first graduating class from Stranahan High School. Patricia later attended Uppsala College in New Jersey where she received a Liberal Arts Degree. After raising her two sons, Patricia entered the commercial real estate market and has been growing a successful brokerage for the past 15 years along with her two sons who work in the family business as well.

Residing in Fort Lauderdale with her husband, she enjoys many friendships and close family. She is an avid reader and enjoys traveling with her husband.

INVESTOR OF THE MONTH

It is our great pleasure to welcome Imperial Point Medical Center (IPMC) as our newest corporate member. Located at 6401 N. Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, it has been serving the community for more than 35 years. Listed in the US News Best Hospitals, IPMC has dedicated itself to providing first-class patient care and takes great pride in the recent $17 million expansion of its Emergency Department which opened to the Public on January 3, 2010.

The addition of the new building has increased the square footage of the Emergency Department from 6,200 square feet to 24,063 square feet. It now offers 20 new treatment rooms (three of which are behavioral health rooms), some of the shortest wait times in the area, ease of accessibility and improved patient flow. It is a designated Primary Stroke Center.

“Even with the current state of the economy, we knew expansion was essential to accommodate our area’s growing population and its needs,” said Calvin Glidewell, CEO of IPMC. “Last year, we treated more than 30,000 patients in the Emergency Department, which was the same size as it was when IPMC opened 37 years ago and served a much smaller community. The expanded department offers more privacy and comfort for our patients and families as well as a more efficient and professional environment for our staff.”

The design, down to the placement of lights and outlets, was carefully planned with input from Imperial Point Medical Center physicians and nurses.  The project’s construction company, ANF, set up a mock ER prior to the expansion so medical staff could help design the best layout in which to work. Lighting, cabinets and materials were selected to be environmentally friendly. 

Features of the new Emergency Department include:

• Support of 300 physicians and medical staff
• On-call physicians of every medical specialty
• Physicians are board certified in emergency medicine
• Code rooms adjacent to the ambulance entrance
• Private registration and triage rooms
• PACS – Picture Archiving and Communications System

For more information, call (954) 776-8500 or visit www.BrowardHealth.org.

CITY UPDATE

By Ray Lubomski

Revised Interim Downtown Mixed Use
District Regulations

The City Commission authorized staff to develop a set of interim regulations, which would encourage and facilitate renovation and use of existing downtown buildings. Although the vision of a “new” downtown with high- and mid-rise residential structures served by parking garages and store fronts, the current economic conditions are not favorable for wholesale redevelopment as planned. Once approved, these regulations will put in place a mechanism to utilize existing downtown buildings for businesses which are permitted to operate under the current Downtown Mixed Use District regulations and encourage active pedestrian businesses.

Additionally, these interim regulations will contain provisions for fast-track site plan review, abbreviated application requirements, DRC approvals for interior and exterior renovation projects only, and staff serving as an ombudsman for targeted project approval. This effort should be a major step to jump-start investment in the downtown without waiting on a large–scale development. The second public hearing on the ordinance will be heard February 3, 2010 at 6:30 PM, in the City Commission Chambers.

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3407 North Dixie Highway, Oakland Park, Florida 33334
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Oakland Park Main Street, Inc. is a 501©(3) nonprofit corporation. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Division of Consumer Services by calling toll-free 1-800-435-7352 within the State. Registration does not imply endorsement, approval, or recommendation by the State.