The skatepark is real, and it took almost 15 years
A Nordstrom Rack is coming to Citi Centre, a window installer files Chapter 11, and small home projects just got a permit workaround.
Fifteen years is a long time to wait for concrete. The city held the grand opening of its skatepark on July 22, and what showed up is not a token slab with a couple of ramps bolted on. It spans 20,000 square feet, with a street plaza, ramps, rails and ledges, and it was designed by professional skaters with input from the local skating community. That last detail is the whole ballgame. Parks drawn up by people who have never dropped into a bowl tend to sit empty and get blamed on the kids. This one had the people who will actually use it in the room.
Nordstrom Rack is coming to Pompano Citi Centre
Nordstrom Rack is expanding its South Florida footprint, and one of the new stores is headed for Pompano Citi Centre at 1955 N. Federal Highway. The listing calls for approximately 28,000 square feet of discounted designer apparel, shoes and accessories — another destination for Broward shoppers hunting marked-down labels. That is a substantial box by any measure: not a boutique tucked into a corner of the center, but a full-size store. Keep an eye on that stretch of Federal.
A Pompano impact window installer files Chapter 11
BNT Services, Inc. has entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The company is based in Pompano Beach and installs impact windows and doors, and its client list runs to both residential and commercial work. That is a specific slice of the local construction trade, and a familiar one in a coastal city where impact glass is part of the vocabulary. The filing is what is on the record so far, out of a company headquartered right here rather than a name attached to some distant corporate address.
Small home projects can now skip the building permit
Florida House Bill 803 is now law, and it lets single-family homeowners and their contractors do minor work without a building permit when the Building portion costs under $7,500 and doesn't touch structural, electrical, plumbing, mechanical or gas systems. Think painting, cabinet swaps with no hookups, drywall patching, trim, screens, gutters, interior doors, standard wood fences up to six feet. It is not automatic. You file a Building Permit Exemption Request through the City's ePlan portal before work starts, at no charge, and the Building Department answers within three business days. Homes in FEMA flood zones A, AE, AH, AO, AR, A99, V or VE don't qualify. Approved work has 180 days.
A lane closed on SE 9th, and a sewer notice with two sets of dates
Stormwater maintenance has been closing the westbound lane of SE 9th Street just east of SE 22nd Avenue, with traffic control in place through today — budget a few extra minutes if that is your route. The city has also posted a notice about internal cleaning of the gravity sewer line along 2121–2535 E. Atlantic Blvd., but the dates listed don't match each other, so call before you plan around it. Whenever crews do arrive, the guidance is to close toilet lids, pull the bathroom mats, pour a gallon of water down rarely used drains to keep the traps sealed, and open a window, since cleaning can push air or a partial vacuum through poorly vented plumbing. Stormwater questions go to Michael Taylor at (954) 786-4724; wastewater to Steve Almyda at (954) 786-5510.
Your flooring guy no longer needs a county license
Under Florida House Bill 735, a stack of local contractor license categories that Broward County used to issue are no longer recognized or required for permitting here — flooring, tree trimming, sealcoating, striping, sign erection and paver installation among them. Before anyone celebrates: permits are still mandatory for all applicable work. Contractors in those categories now put an active Business Tax Receipt number on the application instead of a license number, and general liability and workers' comp coverage, or an approved exemption, still has to be on file. If the work falls under the Florida Building Code, a valid state license is still required. The Building Department is at 954-786-4669.