This Iconic Beach Basketball Court in Fort Lauderdale's city park, has for 65 plus years, served as a community haven for a vast majority of minority residents, children, and tourists from various corners of the country. This court holds a historical significance, as a unique one-of-a-kind setting on the East Coast. It became the symbol of desegregation during the Civil Rights movement in the 1960's. However, the City Commissioners quietly agreed to the demands of the Marriott Hotels branded St Regis developers, to erase this HISTORIC court and replace it with a Pickleball court, disregarding its existing role in our city's cultural and social fabric.

The developers are attempting to once again segregate the beach and move those who play basketball away from their imagined "little Monaco". The St Regis developers also want to privatize this area of public park and beach area which is situated across the street A1A from their current Bahia Mar hotel. These same developers also are trying to eliminate the picnic grills and tables now used by many families on the weekends. They are actively promoting in their sales office the elimination of the basketball courts, grills and picnic tables from the area. They promote this area as their private cabana club as well.

As a city park, it is a travesty that the Mayor does not stand up for the wishes of the residents. Instead, now that they have been caught in their own web of misinformation, they are trying to backpedal and pretend to be nice, offering to build a new court in a whole different location. No Thank You!!. In this quest to reconstruct on the beach, the city now is endangering the nesting areas of the sea turtles who frequent this beach to yearly nest and lay eggs. 

Help send this message to anyone that cares about eliminating over development and/or endangering the sea life.

YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO DONATE MONEY FOR SIGNING PETITION 

Therefore, we urge the city officials to reconsider their decision and preserve this unique basketball court, and with it, our cultural sports heritage. Sign this petition to lend your voice to ours in protecting and maintaining the existing integrity of the Fort Lauderdale Beach Basketball Court.

UPDATED INFO: PLEASE NOTE THAT IN SPITE OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU MAY HEAR OR READ IN THE NEWS ABOUT MAYOR TRANTALIS STATEMENT ABOUT WORKING TO KEEP BASKETBALL AT THE BEACH, THIS QUEST FOR JUSTICE IS FAR FROM OVER. THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR THESE COURTS AS THEY ARE ICONIC AND HAVE 65 + YEARS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE TO MANY MANY PEOPLE. THE SIMPLE SOLUTION AND MOST LOGICAL IS TO BUILD PICKLEBALL COURTS IN A NEW LOCATION. VERY SIMPLE IDEA. NO NEED FOR COMPLICATION AND ADDED EXPENSE. AND ALLOW OUR TEAM TO UNDERTAKE THE RENOVATION OF THE EXISTING COURTS TO A HIGHER STANDARD, ONE OF WHICH WILL ATTRACT MORE TOURISM TO FORT LAUDERDALE. 

PLEASE CONTINUE TO MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD BY SIGNING THIS PETITION.

UPDATE: Commissioner Glassman is telling everyone that the City of Fort Lauderdale is "required to convert the existing basketball courts into pickleball courts" But according to the Interlocal Agreement made with the developers of the ST Regis Bahia Mar, that is an untrue statement. The facts are here.......

THE COURTS SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR CURRENT LOCATION !!!