Big Week on Las Olas

by Bernard McCormick Monday, January 26, 2026 1 Comment(s)

This recent week was a historic one for Las Olas Boulevard. Two events promise to change the character of Fort Lauderdale's charming shopping district. One, the opening of Huizenga Park on the western perimeter of the boulevard, adds a beautiful recreational dimension to a neighborhood with so many tall buildings for blocks around it. The other, more to the east in the original commercial district which began with the Riverside Hotel in 1936, is a controversial development which many think will detract from the boulevard's appeal. We have a personal interest in both situations. The dedication of Huizenga Park featured artwork by the area's young artists, one of whom is our grandson, Colin Breslin. He was part of the team which painted the large mural on the west side of the park and also was one of the artists who painted umbrellas which were part of the opening festivities. A recent graduate of FSU, Colin is building his reputation in the niche muralist art form, evidenced by his first solo effort - at Scouting America in Davie.

Colin Breslin was among artists featured at Huizenga Park opening.

The redesign of Las Olas's oldest section was approved by the city despite opposition from many residents who frequent the boulevard. It will replace the shaded median with broader sidewalks, narrowing the boulevard from four lanes to two. It will broaden the sidewalks to relieve the current busy sidewalks and permit more room for outdoor dining and other activities. New trees will be planted in the broader sidewalk. The project is viewed as a benefit to the stores on both sides, but we have a hard time envisioning anything that will not deprive the boulevard of its present ambiance. 

On a personal note, the new design will require the removal of a plaque in the median toward the east end of the boulevard which remembers a man who was once strongly identified with Las Olas. That was Wells Squier, who for decades influenced the formation of the Las Olas charm. Squier was an industrial designer whose work goes back to the 1950s and continued until his death in 1993. Among his ideas are the fake facades of a number of the original stores which give the impression of second stories.  Prominent developer-banker Jack Abdo, who lives the nearby Colee Hammock, asked us to write the inscription for the mural years ago. Squier was so identified with Las Olas that he literally died there. His body was found in his car parked just off the boulevard. He suffered an apparent heart attack following a lunch nearby. Today, there is barely any mention of him on the internet. All glory is fleeting.

Plaque to Wells Squier was installed shortly after his death in 1993.

One argument for removing the historic median is that the distinctive trees are on their last legs and will have to be replaced anyway. We are among the cynics on that score. It is the same excuse developers use when they cut down old oaks in surrounding neighborhoods to permit much larger buildings, often apartments which replace the homey cottages which stood for years. It is true that most of those old trees have some decay in the heart of their broad limbs, but those trees, many a hundred years old, are a long way from dying. It is an unfortunate trend. Developers are attracted to these shaded old Florida neighborhoods, then destroy the very thing that attracted them in the first place. Go figure. And you will figure money.