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Commissioner's Update

Broward County Commission • District IV

Dear Residents,

t is an honor and privilege to be your voice and to represent you, the citizens of
our coastal and inland communities from Deerfield Beach to Fort Lauderdale. As
Iyour County Commissioner, I look forward to continuing to improve our resident's
quality of life by focusing on several key issues in our community. Here are some recent
headlines from around the County.

Convention Center Project Update
Convention Center Project UpdateBroward County embarked on a major journey in
recent years in order to expand the current convention center and add a headquarters
hotel. I'm happy to announce that work has officially started on the Convention Center
Expansion and Headquarters Hotel project. Several key events have occurred this year
which have solidified the fact that this project is on the move. In May, the phased
project began with a demolition event at the Portside Yachting Center and will follow a
schedule of construction activities into 2023. In June, Assistant County Administrator
Lamar P. Fisher Alan Cohen briefed Commissioners on the project and before the month was over the
District IV Commissioner
Master Development Agreement for the Convention Center Expansion and
Headquarters Hotel Project was fully executed by the developer and the County.
The total cost of the project is estimated to be over $1 billion and it will be a beneficial
addition to our community. The combined effect of the expansion and new hotel with
public spaces and waterfront amenities is expected to boost the local economy by more
than $100 million a year, by attracting more convention center and trade show
business, increasing tourism and creating jobs in Broward County. The expansion and
hotel projects are expected to create over 1,000 full and part time local jobs. It is
exciting to be a part of this journey that will provide us with the opportunity to compete
with other local convention centers and will only enhance Broward County's economy.

Broward County Transit Improvements
Broward County Transit (BCT) has moved forward to implement bus service
improvements to its fixed routes. These services are just one example of how the
transportation surtax funds that was approved last November by Broward County
voters, will be used. BCT will roll out the improvements in two phases during the
summer and fall. Service improvements include the addition of new routes, 147 new
buses, expanded weekday and weekend services that extend into neighboring counties,
shorter wait times, completing the installation of free Wi-Fi throughout BCT's entire bus
fleet, restoring routes suspended during the recession, and launching mobile ticketing.

In other BCT news, the county is taking initial steps to purchase battery-powered electric
buses. In June, I had the pleasure to witness a test run of one electric bus which will
service 10 different routes over the next month to make sure they can withstand South
Florida's weather conditions. BCT has been approved by the Broward County Board of
County Commissioners to purchase five battery-powered electric buses that are
scheduled to be put into service in early 2020.

For more information about bus service improvements and BCT, please visit
Broward.org/BCT.

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