“It’s important for businesses to network with the community. Together, we can come up with great ideas,” said Joan Sheridan, chairperson of the Southwest Coalition of Civic Associations. Her organization, along with Waterworks 2011 and other committed individuals, joined forces to organize the Davie Boulevard Grand Re-Opening Celebration.

More than 2,000 people attended the Nov. 10, event which featured music, free food donated by local merchants, games for children, and special sales at the many stores lining the Ft. Lauderdale boulevard. “It was a huge success and a team effort,” Sheridan said. 

 Many people contributed to the celebration including Rick Cordary, the president of EDCO Awards & Specialties. He provided the event with 2,000 balloons, 10 large banners, thousands of flyers, and several printed letters.

“Without Rick, we wouldn’t have been able to get the communication out,” said Diane Russo who served as the events coordinator for the Grand Re-Opening. 

Crews spent several months installing a new water main along Davie Boulevard. This construction slowed the flow of traffic to the local businesses in the community. According to Tara Flash, WaterWorks 2011 Public Outreach Coordinator, those merchants served as the inspiration for the event. Activities at the Grand Re-opening were geared at re-introducing the stores to patrons who may have found it difficult to get to their favorite shops during the heavy construction period.  According to Russo, the celebration helped.

“It was like being in a big town with a small town atmosphere. Everyone was out there getting to know one another.  It really brought everyone together,” she said. “It also brought people here who would not have regularly come here.” 

In addition to the many merchants and individuals who donated their time and products, Russo was also very appreciative to the City of Fort Lauderdale and to the Danella construction company. They donated generators and put up barricades.

Cordary, whose EDCO business is located on Davie Boulevard, had encouraging words to say about WaterWorks 2011. “Without WaterWorks, we wouldn’t have had any money donated and none of this stuff would have happened,” he said. 

Prior to the Grand Re-Opening, WaterWorks 2011 hosted a Business Toolkit series during the weekly construction meetings it had with Davie Boulevard merchants. Through the series, businesses were able to identify creative marketing ways to bring traffic to their stores. The Grand-Re-Opening served as one of those innovative ideas.

“This was truly a magnificent outreach for not only merchants, but residents as well,” Sheridan said. “It was more fantastic than I imagined. This event has inspired and created an enthusiasm to get merchants to come up with marketing ideas. It inspired them that there is hope after construction.”