CRA reports Hollywood Boulevard complete; A1A undergrounding, Tyler Street repairs continue amid tree, utility and contractor issues

Hollywood City — The Community Redevelopment Agency on Feb. 5 received a series of status updates on downtown and beach capital-improvement projects, including the recently completed Hollywood Boulevard streetscape, continuing undergrounding of utilities along A1A and a contract estimate to repair sidewalks and curbs on Tyler Street. Board members debated tree preservation, utility contractor delays and maintenance needs along the project corridors.

The most immediate news was the finished Hollywood Boulevard streetscape. "Project was completed on time. We achieved substantial completion on October 3 and the ribbon cutting was held on 10/19/2024," Adam Rosmel, project manager for Burkhart Construction, told the board. Rosmel and Burkhart representatives also showed final aerial photographs of the boulevard.

Why it matters: the work affects downtown pedestrian access, business frontage and ongoing beach projects tied to undergrounding utilities and coastal resiliency. Several items discussed have implications for near-term schedules and recurring maintenance costs.

Work on A1A undergrounding and associated streetscape elements is well advanced, Rosmel said: pavers and conduit are in place, AT&T has finished work at all but one property, and FP&L switching is about 85 percent complete. Comcast, by contrast, has been slow to provide a schedule; Rosmel said Comcast has switched contractors multiple times and remains at the splicing stage. "They've been the worst ones so far," Rosmel said.

Board members expressed concern about Comcast's responsiveness. Rosmel said the project team still hopes to take lines down "in the early summer," but that the Carolina Street traffic signal work cannot start until overhead lines are taken down or de-energized by FPL.

The board also heard about landscape and maintenance issues. Deputy Director Susan Goldberg said about 100 palm trees were planted as part of the A1A work and that roughly 30 trees ("about 30 percent," Goldberg said) are showing problems. An arborist visited in January and took soil and water samples; the board was told staff is awaiting the arborist's written findings. Goldberg said the trees may be affected by saltwater intrusion and root‑ball conditions, and advised the board the city hoped to have a report at the next meeting.

Board members urged preservation where feasible. "If we can save the tree, let's save the tree," Board Member Jorge Hernandez said, urging staff and the contractor to explore curb or bulb‑out changes that would enlarge tree wells rather than remove established trees. Francisco Diaz, project manager with the CRA, said the contractor included tree removal as a worst‑case scenario in the estimate.

Tyler Street sidewalks: Francisco Diaz presented photos and a cost breakdown for sidewalk and curb repairs on Tyler Street between 20th Avenue and 19th Avenue. The contractor, Concrete Works, estimated $65,000 for the full scope; Diaz said the price could fall to $57,000 if tree removal is avoided. "The total cost is $65,000 ... if we don't have to remove the tree, the cost will come down to $57,000," Diaz said. The work package covers grinding uneven slabs, replacing broken panels and, where required, removing and replacing curb, gutter and driveways.

Diaz and board members flagged several design and safety questions tied to recent redevelopment: parking stall widths on the north side of Tyler were reported to be narrower than the interpreted 8.5‑foot parallel parking standard cited in the meeting; board members asked staff to verify the as‑built striping and, if needed, re‑stripe to meet code and safety standards.

Other maintenance items raised by Burkhart Construction included rusting backflow cages; Rosmel said the subcontractor is looking at stainless‑steel options and that stainless will still show surface staining but should perform better. The contractor also reported ongoing maintenance of festoon/curtain lighting downtown; Rosmel and Francisco said that lighting repairs were completed in late January.

Project schedule notes: storm drainage work and directional drilling for conduits are complete or wrapping up on Harrison, Van Buren, Virginia and Jackson Streets, with crews moving to Azalea and Oregon. Keating Park demolition has begun; the Bridal Seawall 80 lighting replacement has been installed and is in permit closeout. Rosmel said resident outreach includes two‑week look‑aheads when practical and that crews provide cell phone contacts for immediate issues.

Board action and administration: the board approved the consent agenda (previous meeting minutes) by unanimous voice vote and earlier approved a motion to accept Board Member Calari's participation by unanimous voice vote. No new contracts were approved at the Feb. 5 meeting; the Tyler Street repair estimate was reported as within the director's procurement threshold and therefore could proceed under staff authority.

What the board asked staff to do: staff was directed to circulate the arborist's report when available, seek escalation contacts for Comcast if needed, confirm the AT&T/Comcast/FPL schedules that affect Carolina Street signal work, verify as‑built striping and parking stall widths on Tyler Street, and, during contract finalization, explore design options that preserve trees where feasible.

Local context: board members repeatedly linked maintenance and design choices to downtown economic vitality, citing new restaurants and retail openings on Harrison Street and the need for reliable lighting, parking and pedestrian safety to support those businesses.

Looking ahead: staff said it will return on the schedule set by the arborist and ongoing utility work; the board asked for follow‑up reporting at the next CRA meeting on tree‑health findings, Comcast coordination and the Tyler Street repair schedule.