| Contact Address: | PO Box 1331 Fort Lauderdale 33302 |
| Official Web Site: | www.tarponriver.org |
| Email: | [email protected] |
| Representatives: | Brucie Cummings, Rep.
Brian Engle, Alt. |
| Fort Lauderdale District: | 4 |
| About / Description: | The Tarpon River Neighborhood is located on the Southwest edge of the Central Business District of Ft. Lauderdale. It is bounded on the North and West by the New River, on the South by Davie Blvd. and on the East by Andrews Ave. It is bisected by the Tarpon River, hence its name. Parts of the Neighborhood were included in the original City of Ft. Lauderdale when it was first incorporated in 1911. Tarpon River’s location adjacent to the Central Business District makes it an ideal place to live for persons who work and play downtown. It is across the River from the Performing Arts Center, the Science Museum and the Entertainment District and next to the Broward County Courthouse. The Marshall Bridge is the westerly end of River Walk on the South Side of the River, right in the middle of the Tarpon River neighborhood. Historic Southside School and Hardy Park are also in the neighborhood.Tarpon River’s ideal location has led to steady redevelopment during the past decade. The river front east of 4th Ave. is being redeveloped with water front condominiums and the addition of the River Walk on the south side of the New River. The area south of the river and west of 4th Ave. contains a mix of single family homes and townhouses plus the River Reach condominium community. Some of the homes date to the 1920’s and have been restored. Most date from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Much of the neighborhood is heavily canopied with old trees and lush vegetation making it an oasis in the middle of the City.The oldest known non-Indian inhabitants of Broward County lived in Tarpon River. Spanish records show that the Governor of Florida, resident in St. Augustine, sent an expedition to the area in 1793 to investigate rumors of the presence of English speaking settlers. They found the Surles Lewis family homestead on the South bank of the New River in what is now the Tarpon River neighborhood.
The Tarpon River Civic Association (TRCA) was formed in 1984 by a group of people led by Mr. Jim Naugle, the current Mayor of Ft. Lauderdale. These individuals saw the need for more participation in the governance process by the citizenry. They were also convinced that more attention should be paid to the needs of the various neighborhoods by the City. A number of ideas supporting this process were proposed including the forming of Districts within the City and the election of Commissioners by District rather than all being elected at large. Eventually this happened, resulting in the current structure of the City Commission. The TRCA became increasingly active in voicing the needs of the neighborhood. During the late 1980’s, after major effort on the part of many people, a master plan for the neighborhood was developed. The plan was accepted and approved by the City Commission in September, 1989 and remains the basic guidance document for the development of the neighborhood today |