New townhome project for Wilton Manors

The Wilton Manors City Commission has given the last-needed nod to a 14-unit townhouse project at 549 NE 21st Court, a block off Wilton Drive.

The three-story townhomes in The Village at Wilton Manors will have two-car garages, balconies, high ceilings and modern architecture. Homes will average 1,700 square feet, and there will be a community pool. Prices are expected to start at a half-million dollars.

Site development — including underground utilities and paving — may begin this fall, and construction is scheduled to begin early next year, according to developer Tim Hernandez of New Urban Communities.

The project, within walking distance of the city’s commercial core, “provides additional needed residential uses at a moderate density which will help to continue Wilton Drive’s growth,” Hernandez wrote in his application.

And the city has big aspirations for Wilton Drive to attract more development.

“Wilton Manors is well on its way to becoming a sophisticated urban village with a small-town feel,” said Pamela Landi, assistant city manager.

In the next month, the Florida Department of Transportation will begin a yearlong reconstruction of Wilton Drive to calm traffic. Plans include shrinking five lanes to three, widening sidewalks and creating bike lanes.

That will create “a safer, more walkable and attractive experience,” Landi said.

Then the city will begin a landscaping project with mature shade trees along Wilton Drive to “perhaps before or during” construction attract “a hotel development deal, mixed-use expansion, and Class A office space.”

“Our goal is create an environment where residents and visitors can find everything they could ever need within walking distance,” Landi said.

By Lisa J. Huriash Staff writer

lhuriash@sunsentinel.com, 954-572-2008 or Twitter @LisaHuriash

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