Business View Civil & Municipal | Volme 3, Issue 2

35 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 2 FORT LAUDERDALE , FLOR IDA AND FXE Lauderdale has everything a business needs to succeed. For its 180,000 residents, sunny Fort Lauderdale is a dream place to call home. Business View had the pleasure of speaking with Fort Lauderdale Mayor, Dean Trantalis, about his insights into the growth and development of this beautiful city. BVM: What would you say makes Fort Lauderdale such a special place? Trantalis: “The wonderful thing about Fort Lauderdale is that, regardless of where you come from, what you believe in, who you love, it’s a place where everyone can find a home. A place of acceptance, diversity, and opportunity where you can enjoy life at any age. It’s a place where community and neighbors are important. We’re a city on the move and we continue to see the influx of people who want a piece of paradise – they can definitely find it here in Fort Lauderdale. “Our registered population is about 180,000 but we have a daytime population of commuters that doubles that amount. Then, our seasonal residents add about another 100,000 to the population during the winter season. We have a busy city but it works. Everybody has a great time. Our beaches are clean and beautiful and safe, and we’ve been able to avoid the ravages of COVID-19. Overall, I’d say we’re a happy community. Being Mayor of Fort Lauderdale has been a real privilege and I think, going forward, we see a lot of opportunity for everybody.” BVM: Can you share some examples of current projects? Trantalis: “When this city commission took office four years ago, it had an agenda to rebuild Fort Lauderdale. Bring back its glory in ways that it had lost. At the same time, anticipating the growth – to rebuild the infrastructure so that we don’t suffer from the weight of new population and the intensity of the rapid building that is