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Feature

Photo by Sublime Imagery/Fort Lauderdale DDA

as Olas has undergone an immense transformation over buildings see roughly 50,000 people throughout the workweek
the past century. Since its humble beginnings in the early and its nearby cruise port welcomes 4.5 million people to the
L 1900s as a sleepy seasonal beach town, it has been city year-round, creating a steady flow of opportunity for both
reimagined into a bustling destination with a wide range of Las Olas and the greater Fort Lauderdale community.
upscale businesses and renovated gathering spaces for locals Since 2000, the number of residents with a bachelor's degree
and visitors to enjoy. What once shut down over summer and or higher has doubled. International Downtown Association
held vacancies now welcomes flocks of clientele year-round to numbers estimate that the downtown area alone has received a
sample its packed lineup of venues and experiences. 43 percent boost in young professionals aged 25-44 over the

"Even in the 90s, you could shoot a cannon down Las Olas past decade, and a 41 percent overall increase since 2010.
and not hit anything after five o'clock," said Steve Hudson, The downtown area has become a magnet for these talented
Chairman and CEO at Hudson Capital Group and Fort professionals, with big corporations starting to take note and
Lauderdale native. "There was barely anything going on once following not far behind them to the city. As a result,
the sun went down. Now, you see the good mix of storefronts Downtown Fort Lauderdale experienced a 33 percent increase
along the boulevard activated throughout the entire day, and in finance jobs, a 16 percent increase in professional services
they are thriving." jobs, and a 10 percent rise in technology-related careers
between 2018-2020.
A Transformation Begins To house this migration of professionals, Las Olas’ office scene
Fort Lauderdale is currently home to over 180,000 people, with has expanded to offer new, innovative ways for businesses to
more and more choosing to call it home. There are more than set up permanently along the strip. The Main Las Olas, the
20,000 residential units occupied by 20,000-30,000 residents boulevard’s first Class-A office space, is bringing in tenants such
within walking distance to Las Olas Boulevard. Its office
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