This downtown Fort Lauderdale park to reopen after a $15M remodel. What to know

Fort Lauderdale residents will once again stroll down Huizenga Park in the New Year.

After years of redesign, fundraising and construction, the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority announced Friday the plans for the park’s grand opening celebrations set for Jan. 24-25, 2026, which will include a ribbon cutting ceremony and guided tours. The 3.6-acre riverfront park, which is owned and operated by the Development Authority, will feature shaded seating, open lawns, a restaurant, children play areas, an enclosed dog run for pets to play off-leash and free weekly events.

“We created a design and programming schedule that meets the needs of the community as a whole,” said Jenni Morejon, the DDA President and CEO. “Downtown Fort Lauderdale is everyone’s downtown.”

During the pandemic, it became clear to the DDA that Huizenga Park was due for a serious upgrade, Morejon said. The Fort Lauderdale DDA, an independent agency focused on investment and revitalization downtown, built the park in the ‘90s and named it after Fort Lauderdale entrepreneur and philanthropist Wayne Huizenga in 2003.

The DDA collected public feedback and worked with architecture and landscape firm Perkins&Will and MBR Construction for the redesign and construction. The project cost over $15 million, consisting of funds from private donors, the City of Fort Lauderdale, the State of Florida and the DDA. Construction began in 2024.

The highly-anticipated park makeover is the latest sign of the city’s economic “renaissance.” According to DDA data, downtown Fort Lauderdale’s population has grown 96 percent since 2010, while jobs in the area increased by 3,000 since 2023. Perhaps most notably, downtown is in the midst of a unique baby boom, with an 83 percent increase in families with children since 2018. Fort Lauderdale is also in the midst of a real estate boom, with ambitious projects underway like the nearby $500 million FAT Village redevelopment.

“Huizenga Park now stands as a central destination where the city’s residents and visitors can come together,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis in a statement. “Its reopening is a clear example of how strategic investment in public spaces enhances community life and preserves the energy, spirit, and character that make Fort Lauderdale unique.”

The redesign pulled inspiration from urban parks in other cities, like Bryant Park in New York City and The Bay Park in Sarasota, Morejon said. The DDA reimagined Huizenga Park as a vibrant outdoor space residents, employees and visitors can enjoy day-to-day with frequent activations, she said.

Public programming for the park focused on three pillars that speak to the community’s needs, Morejon said: Arts & Culture, Health & Wellness and Dogs & Pets. There are already 150 events scheduled for 2026 that are free and open to the public, including painting classes, dog training, outdoor movie nights, musical performances, poetry nights and more. Sunny Side Up Market, a popular local makers and farmers market, will set up shop at Huizenga Park twice a month.

The park was designed to have what the DDA calls “outdoor rooms,” dedicated spaces with amenities to serve as the community’s dining room, living room and backyard, like the grassy children’s play moundscape, dog run, restored Spirit of Fort Lauderdale Fountain, expanded shaded seating along the river, public art installations and new landscaping of over 13,500 plants.

In the fall, Huizenga Park will be home Sweetwaters, a full-service waterfront restaurant developed by the same group that owns the Rusty Pelican in Key Biscayne. (There had been some controversy over the restaurant plans, with critics lamenting potential noise issues.) The park will also feature a concession stand offering food from local small business, including Mr. Smash Burgers.

Besides community programming and amenities, Morejon said the DDA plans to keep the park safe and clean by hiring security, cleaning and landscaping teams.

“It’s not just about design,’ Morejon said. “It’s really what do you do when it’s open to the public, how do you maintain it.”

Residents will be able to get their first glimpse at the park at 10 a.m. on Jan. 24 as grand opening celebrations kick off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Emmy Award-winning journalist Laurie Jennings and city leaders. Visitors can take guided tours of the park until 2 p.m. and return to the park at 6 p.m. for a movie on the lawn. The following day, there will be a yoga session at 11 a.m., followed by the Sunny Side Up Market from noon to 4 p.m. Later that evening, there will be a guided meditation at sunset. Regular park programming begins Jan. 27.

Over the nearly five years of working on the Huizenga Park redesign, Morejon said the DDA has “learned a lot” about improving public spaces. With the park as “proof of concept,” Morejon said the DDA is ready and willing to work with the city to upgrade other spaces, like Esplanade Park, Riverwalk and the so-called One Stop Shop site, an empty parcel of taxpayer-owned land in Flagler Village where a developer never broke ground despite plans for a concert venue and food hall.

“This park, we believe, will be a model,” Morejon said.

This story was originally published December 12, 2025 at 6:00 AM.