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City outlines West Side visioning, expands VIP grants after QCT designation
Summary
Oakland Park staff described outreach and early grant activity on the West Side after HUD-designated qualified census tract status; staff said they expanded their VIP small-business grant program and are pursuing capacity-building partnerships to attract sit-down restaurants and grocery options.
Neesa Herrera, Oakland Park’s CRA and Economic Development Director, and consultant Renee Miller briefed the City Commission on Feb. 5 about ongoing work to spur reinvestment on the West Side, an area staff said faces distinct market challenges.
The staff presentation said a portion of West Oakland Park Boulevard (census tract 508) was designated a Qualified Census Tract (QCT) and that the city expanded its VIP small-business grant program to cover the area in January 2024. Staff said the commission approved the first QCT VIP grant in October 2024 for $20,000 at 2300 West Oakland Park Boulevard.
Herrera and Miller described observed market dynamics: high average daily traffic (FDOT data cited ~55,000 vehicles per day on the corridor), prevalence of absentee parcel owners and owner-operated small businesses, and linear commercial development patterns oriented to vehicles rather than walkability. Miller said those factors make the corridor attractive to national quick-service chains and gas stations and create barriers to the sit-down restaurants and grocery stores many residents want.
Staff described actions under way: weekly one-on-one business visitations, active promotion of the QCT VIP program, coordination with CareerSource Broward for workforce training, partnership outreach with Broward County and the Urban League to expand small-business capacity and access to capital, and outreach to brokers and owners to match willing sellers to investors. “We are meeting them where they are,” Miller told commissioners, explaining the weekly visitations and on-the-ground outreach.
Commissioners and staff discussed specific properties including the Walgreens site and the flea-market parcel on Northwest 30th Street. Staff said they are in contact with the Walgreens ownership and realtor but could not disclose transaction details. Commissioners pressed for stronger code enforcement and property appearance efforts; city staff and the city manager said those efforts are ongoing and offered to provide a more detailed briefing on enforcement activity.
Herrera said the city’s West Side strategy aims to build a pipeline for targeted uses (dine-in restaurants, fresh grocery, experiential retail) by combining data collection, policy changes, capital incentives, and private-market outreach.
City officials emphasized that redevelopment is possible but costly because property values in Oakland Park have risen sharply in recent years; staff and commissioners said the work will take time and repeated outreach.
