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Presentation By Terry Cantrell, Chair of Historic Preservation Board, In Recognition Of The May 2026 Historic Preservation Award Recipients.
Strategic Plan Focus
Quality of Life & Strong Neighborhoods
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Staff Recommends: Presentation
Explanation:
The City of Hollywood Commission recognizes May as Historic Preservation Month. Each year the Historic Preservation Board selects projects and initiatives for their contributions to protecting and conserving historic resources within the City of Hollywood. This year the Board would like to recognize:
1) 1820 Hollywood Boulevard (Block 40 -Food Hall Downtown)
2) 1650 Harrison Street (Hollywood Art & Culture Center)
3) 100-Year Celebration Event (City of Hollywood, Parks & Recreation & CMED)
4) Hollywood Historical Society and Steve Sarsfield (Film: Hollywood, Florida, A Centennial Celebration)
5) 1133 Van Buren Street (Diana Plunkett - The front porch project)
6) The English Tudor Condo buildings of Hollywood south beach strip:
1. Hyde Park 1801 S Ocean Drive,
2. Stratford Towers1401 S Ocean Drive,
3. Darby Hall Greenbriar Terrace,
4. Cambridge Tower, 1601 S Ocean Drive,
5. Wellington 1701 S Ocean Drive
7) Recognition of Notable Contributions: Robert McCarthy
Historic Preservation Month is celebrated throughout the Country during the month of May. This program was created by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to spotlight preservation efforts by local governments and communities. This year the theme for Preservation Month 2026 is “All people are created equal.”
In recognition of this distinctive time, each year the City of Hollywood Historic Preservation Board presents awards in celebration of notable preservation initiatives within Hollywood. Selections were made by the Historic Preservation Board.
The following projects and initiatives have been determined to be worthy of recognition:
1) Hollywood Boulevard (Block 40 -Food Hall Downtown)
Today, the former site of the historic Great Southern Hotel in Downtown Hollywood has been thoughtfully redeveloped as Block 40 Food Hall, a contemporary mixed-use destination completed in 2023 that pays tribute to the hotel’s legacy by incorporating Mediterranean Revival-inspired architectural elements at the street level while introducing modern residential density above, successfully honoring the site’s historic identity through compatible adaptive urban redevelopment.
2) 1650 Harrison Street (Hollywood Art & Culture Center)
The Hollywood Art & Culture Center, originally constructed in 1924 and now over a century old, is a significant contributing Mediterranean Revival structure within the Lakes Historic District that has long served as a cultural landmark for the City; through the City’s stewardship and award-winning rehabilitation efforts, including restoration of character-defining architectural elements and sensitively integrated modern additions, the property continues to preserve its historic integrity while supporting its ongoing civic and cultural function.
3) Hollywood 100-Year Celebration Event (City of Hollywood, Parks & Recreation & CMED)
The 2025 City of Hollywood Centennial Celebration, directed by the City’s City of Hollywood Parks, Recreation & Cultural Arts Department and Community, Marketing & Economic Development Department, commemorated the City’s 100-year anniversary through a series of citywide cultural and community events that honored Hollywood’s founding in 1925, celebrated its rich history and civic identity, and promoted historic awareness, community engagement, and pride in a century of growth, preservation, and shared heritage.
4) Hollywood Historical Society and Steve Sarsfield
(Film: Hollywood, Florida A Centennial Celebration)
The 2025 documentary Hollywood, Florida: A Centennial Celebration, produced by the Hollywood Historical Society and written and directed by Stephen Sarsfield, documents the City’s 100-year history through archival storytelling, historical narratives, and significant community milestones, serving as a visual record that preserves Hollywood’s cultural identity while promoting public education, historic awareness, and accessibility of the City’s heritage for future generations.
5) 1133 Van Buren Street (Diana Plunkett - The front porch project)
The Front Porch Project at 1133 Van Buren Street in Hollywood, originally constructed in 1939, represents an exemplary residential rehabilitation that thoughtfully restored and enhanced a defining front porch feature, reinforcing the traditional architectural character of the historic neighborhood while preserving the home’s integrity and reestablishing an inviting streetscape element that celebrates community interaction, historic design, and compatible neighborhood preservation.
6) The English Tudor Condo buildings of Hollywood south beach strip
The English Tudor condominium buildings along the South Beach corridor in Hollywood Beach, constructed in the early 1970s, represent a significant collection of mid-rise residential architecture that helped define the post-war evolution of the City’s coastal skyline; through continued preservation and stewardship, these structures including Hyde Park, Stratford Towers, Darby Hall, Cambridge Towers, and The Wellington continue to maintain their original scale, architectural character, and visual identity, serving as enduring examples of Hollywood Beach’s distinctive oceanfront residential heritage.
7) Recognition of Notable Contributions: Robert McCarthy
Robert McCarthy is respectfully recognized posthumously for his longstanding stewardship and commitment to historic preservation in Downtown Hollywood, particularly through his care and continued investment in Joseph Young’s Garage recognized as the first building constructed in the City of Hollywood. Under his ownership, this significant historic resource remained actively maintained, occupied, and integrated into the commercial and social fabric of downtown, demonstrating how private stewardship can play a vital role in preserving the City’s architectural heritage, community identity, and historic legacy for future generations.
Fiscal Impact:
This presentation will not fiscally impact the City.
Recommended for inclusion on the agenda by:
Cameron Palmer, Planner Chief - Assistant Director of Development Services
Andria Wingett, Director of Development Services
Jose Cortes, Assistant City Manager