Fort Lauderdale stakeholders set 2025 priorities: water quality, navigation safety and infrastructure funding

Commissioner Ben Sorenson and city staff told a Jan. 2 joint meeting of the Fort Lauderdale Marine Advisory Board and the Marine Industries Association of South Florida (MISF) that the city will pursue a mix of near-term actions on water quality and longer-term engineering work to preserve navigation and maritime jobs.

The meeting brought city commissioners and staff together with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Coast Guard representatives, marine-industry leaders and environmental groups to translate broad goals — “clean water” and “safe navigation” — into measurable steps for 2025.

Why it matters: Fort Lauderdale’s waterways are central to local jobs and tourism, and stakeholders said failing to address recurring sewage discharges, derelict vessels and pinch points in the New River could threaten marine businesses and public safety.

“This is a major step for us,” Commissioner Ben Sorenson said of the city’s move to pursue federal funding for a preferred New River crossing; “the city commission… now says that a tunnel is the preferred local alternative, to crossing the New River.” He also told the group the city will ask the manager’s office to produce a cost estimate for the initial engineering required to apply for Federal…