The YMCA of South Florida, along with local dignitaries and community leaders, recently celebrated the grand unveiling of the retail Plaza at the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center, 1409 Sistrunk Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale. The Plaza, sponsored by Florida Blue, consists of five new businesses, which will serve the needs of both the residents of the historic Sistrunk community, as well as members and guests who visit the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center. The new businesses join the Y’s existing partners to provide a wide array of valuable goods and services for which local residents have asked. Since the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center opened in May 2022, it has become a hub for the local community.
Consisting of approximately 7,500 square feet, the new retail space fronts the main street of the historic Sistrunk community and is located on the first floor of the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center. The Y is focused on identifying retail partners which are either minority- or woman-owned.
“To best serve the Sistrunk community, it was important for us to partner with minority-owned businesses that were invested in this community and shared the same passion for it as we do,” said YMCA of South Florida CEO Sheryl A. Woods. “Another major factor was the ability for partners to provide the quality of service that the people of this community deserve. Each of these new businesses touches on one of the Y’s primary areas of focus, filling voids that had existed in the community. They will all have a positive impact on the community, and we expect them to help drive local economic development. We are grateful to our partner Florida Blue for sponsoring this Plaza, as they support our commitment to strengthening community.”
The new partners at the Retail Plaza are as follows:
Holy Cross Health Center occupies 1,712 sq. ft. where the community has access to family medicine, pediatric and adult immunizations, school physicals, annual wellness visits, primary prevention, care coordination, care management, health promotion and disease prevention through population-based interventions.
The Salad Boss encompasses 1,748 sq. ft. offering numerous health food options, including salads, wraps, smoothies and much more. The restaurant also offers a private dining area and lounge.
Natural Trend Setters Salon operates a 1,062 sq. ft. hair salon specializing in healthy tresses and education on care for every hair texture. With their original location in Tamarac, they are one-stop shopping for the best in natural and healthy hair care.
An 824-sq.-ft. Fort Lauderdale Police Sistrunk Sub-Station, is relocating from its current location on Sistrunk Blvd to better serve the community. Colliers International’s Fort Lauderdale office facilitated this move, marking the sole lease transaction involving a broker.
Optimal Health Pharmacy is expected to open soon, occupying 2,124 sq. ft. of the Plaza. A division of Optimal Health Medical Center in Miami Gardens, it will offer residents easy access to all of their prescription needs.
New Plaza tenants join a slate of existing retail partners currently serving the community out of the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center:
Delmar Arts Academy Preschool – A 3,000 square-foot facility on the east end of the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center. Serving 85-90 children as young as 15 months, they focus on promoting every aspect of a child’s growth: cognitive, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual.
Broward College – Located within a 10,000 square-foot space on the 4th floor of the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center. At this location, Broward College offers free, non-credit workforce training courses and workshops for district residents in high-demand fields, including business, hospitality, and information technology.
Mosaic Cowork – Situated in a 1,200 square-foot space on the 3rd floor of the L.A. Lee YMCA/Mizell Community Center. Mosaic offers remote workspaces and meeting areas for both individuals and businesses.
In addition, the L.A. YMCA/Mizell Community Center is home to the Victory Black Box Theatre. This is a 2,000-square foot full-service event space located on the 3rd floor. With a seating capacity of 200, a professional grade audio system and theatrical lighting capabilities, the Theatre has the capability to host performances, company gatherings, graduations, classes and parties, and is available for rent. Other spaces include an outdoor four-lane, 25-meter swimming pool where children in the community learn to swim; a full basketball court, that can be reconfigured as a volleyball court; a fully equipped fitness center; outdoor terraces and community meeting spaces.
For more information about the Y, visit ymcasouthflorida.org.
