The developers of the Shops at Pembroke Gardens are moving closer to building a 308-unit apartment community on the property, a plan that could bring more than 1,000 new residents and, officials hope, new customers to help keep the businesses running.
“It’s a win-win for Pembroke Pines and Pembroke Gardens,” said Mayor Angelo Castillo. “We have seen these centers in other areas die because they don’t have people going to the businesses during the week.”
The Shops at Pembroke Gardens is home to dozens of retailers, from clothing stores and candy shops to bookstores and restaurants — about 20 eateries competing with one another and regional businesses for a market hampered by rising prices and higher rents. The restaurants include the Village Tavern, Fuddruckers, Brimstone Woodfire Grill, The Pub and Firebirds.
Efforts to reach the Shops’ and the housing plan’s developers this week were unsuccessful, despite several phone messages left for the development manager.
Castillo said adding housing to the site, located on the southeast corner of Interstate 75 and Pines Boulevard, is a natural way to increase the customer base and keep the Shops at Pembroke Gardens in business.
“Having a lifestyle-type housing is essential so that they can do the things they need to do to survive,” Castillo said. “If you don’t keep them supplied with customers during the week, the centers start to collapse. We’ve seen that over and over again regionally.”
The Shops at Pembroke Gardens thrives on weekends, he said, but to stay strong, it needs a customer base during the week.
The housing plan calls for the construction of what’s called “workforce housing,” which consists of studios, one, two and three- bedroom apartments, 44 of which are set aside for residents who earn less than 120% of the area’s median income.
“We insisted on it being affordable,” Castillo said.
The project went through routine approval before the Broward County Commission this week, with development officials noting that the plans comply with land use rules and are predicted to add a dozen students to local public schools — five elementary, three middle and four high school.
County development experts reported no concern that the project would add significant traffic to the area.
Dates for the start of construction and completion have not been set.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-304-5256.
