Local
Fort Lauderdale advances plan to shorten Himmarshee bar hours
A proposed end to Himmarshee’s special entertainment district status would require bars to close at 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends. City leaders cited crime concerns, while some bar owners said the measure could hurt businesses without addressing violence in nearby parking lots.
Fort Lauderdale commissioners voted Tuesday to move forward with ending the special entertainment district designation for Himmarshee, a downtown area where bars could face earlier closing times if the change receives final approval.
Under the proposal, bars would close at 2 a.m. on weekdays and 3 a.m. on weekends—an hour earlier than allowed under the district’s current rules. Commissioners must vote on the measure again at a second reading, expected at their next meeting in November.
The district stretches from Northwest Seventh Street east to the railroad tracks and north to Broward Boulevard. It includes late-night bars and clubs, restaurants, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts and the Museum of Discovery and Science.
Mayor Dean Trantalis and other city officials have pointed to crime in the area. At Tuesday’s meeting, Trantalis said the nightlife scene had become a draw for young people behaving badly. The city says there have been at least 124 arrests in Himmarshee so far this year; that total does not include a shooting last December that injured five people.
The commission’s action follows a recent increase in police enforcement in the district, including additional officers and security measures. Trantalis said Wednesday that the area had shifted from a destination for dining and casual drinks toward a party scene the city wants to change.
Some restaurant representatives supported shorter hours. Adam Peterson, speaking for a restaurant owner, said shootings, stabbings and other criminal activity had created an unacceptable environment for residents, visitors, businesses and employees. The owner of Pizza Craft said he had begun closing his speakeasy bar at 11 p.m. to avoid rowdy nightclub crowds and damage to its restrooms.
Bar owners argued that cutting hours could punish businesses without stopping crime. Ellen Bogdanoff told commissioners that increased police presence was working and urged the city not to use a broad policy that could put businesses at risk. Ian Lowe, who said about half his earnings at Fat Cats bar come after 2 a.m., argued that incidents often happen in parking lots, where people gather and bring their own drinks, rather than inside bars.
The second-reading vote will determine whether the proposed change takes effect. Until then, Himmarshee’s entertainment district designation remains in place.