So long, Searstown: Blighted corner gets artsy makeover as buildings come down
FORT LAUDERDALE — Three green-eyed sisters with wavy red locks swirling in the wind. An elegant egret peering through bright yellow beams of sunlight. A lime-green alligator leaping through a lavender haze.
Eight eye-catching murals have transformed what might be another run-of-the-mill construction fence buffering a mountain of concrete rubble into a vibrant work of art at the once-bustling spot we knew as Searstown.
Demolition crews are busy dismantling the landmark Sears building and others nearby to pave the way for a new megaproject on the edge of Flagler Village.
The developer, Denver-based Aimco, plans to build three new towers and a hotel near the well-trafficked corner where Sunrise Boulevard joins Federal Highway near downtown Fort Lauderdale. But before those towers go up, the developer has teamed up with local artists to bring a bit of vibrant color to the stretch of roadway where so many drivers find themselves a captive audience waiting at the red light.
Artist Leah Brown, whose mural of the three green-eyed sisters was inspired by dreams she’s had throughout her life, finished her artwork in four days. In those four days, people driving by started honking their appreciation as the mural came to life.
“I learned that honking is a love language,” Brown said. “They were honking to show encouragement. Then people started rolling down the window and saying, “Great progress!’ Like it was something they were already starting to care about.”
Aimco turned to Brown, an artist and curator with Art+Light+Space in Fort Lauderdale, to help find and choose the muralists.
The other seven muralists include Lori Pratico, Georgeta Fondos, HOXXOH/Douglas Hoekzema, Christian Feneck, Christopher Ian Macfarlane, Remote and Nico Suave.
“They’re coming into a neighborhood that’s historically been Fort Lauderdale’s arts district,” Brown said. “And they really embraced the spirit of the neighborhood. I think it was smart on their part to beautify the (demo and construction) process so people can say ‘Wow, I’m really excited about what I’m looking at and I can’t wait to see what they do next.’”
The burst of color helps redirect the eye from all that dirt and concrete, says Steven Peters, an artist who lives in Flagler Village.
“Anything that can beautify the landscape is a good thing, especially with all the construction going on,” he said. “I appreciate it when people take the opportunity to take something ugly and make it look really beautiful. I love it. I absolutely love it.”
Uplifting message
The mural project is a first for Aimco, says CEO Wes Powell, who came up with the idea.
“Understanding and incorporating the fabric of a community into our developments is a high priority for Aimco,” he said. “Turning a construction fence into a canvas for our region’s most prominent muralists was a natural way to show Aimco’s deep commitment to fostering Flagler Village’s identity as a community that embraces the arts.”
Pratico, a muralist from Oakland Park, combined bright images and bold words to share a powerful message: “BUILD EACH OTHER UP.”
“Most of my murals usually have some kind of messaging,” she said. “I thought, ‘Well here’s this area that has a very sentimental quality.’ People have memories of that area from over the years, of growing up and going to that store and working there. It was a fixture in that area for so long and now it’s gone.”
Pratico says she wanted her mural to uplift the community.
“We still have to remember the people of this community,” she said. “We can build up as far as construction but we also have to build each other up. I wanted bright colors and bright images. I was hoping people would pass by there and it would make them feel good when they pass by it.”
Start of what’s to come
While she worked on her mural, dozens of drivers shared their enthusiasm as they passed by, she said.
“I posted on my Instagram story thanking all the people who gave me a thumbs up or beeped their horn. And I got one trucker that whistled.”
Pratico also hopes all eight murals helps people focus on the art and not the dustbowl of a backdrop.
“The Sears has been closed for awhile,” she said. “It’s been a blighted little corner for a long time. All of a sudden there’s all this activity and energy. It’s something uplifting for the community and we’re here to stay. We don’t know what (the new project is) going to look like, but we are the start of what’s to come.”
Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman, whose district includes the Searstown site, praised the developer for commissioning a team of talented muralists to help bring an artsy makeover to the long-blighted corner.
“This is a wonderful example of how a construction site can be artistic,” Glassman said. “I typically just see that green screening and the chain-link fence. This is taking it to a different level. Kudos to the developer for that.”
‘A little something extra’
Charlie Ladd, a local developer who owns properties along Federal Highway, says the murals have caught his eye, too.
“I’ve been driving by watching it,” Ladd said. “It’s an iconic corner and it’s nice they tried to do a little something extra. I think it’s great. It’s a nice gesture by Aimco to do something other than just stick up a fence.”
The murals are expected to remain in place for at least two years, Brown said.
She hopes all those who lay eyes on them feel a sense of inspiration, she says.
“Maybe it will make them want to create art as well,” Brown said. “Especially for children who see the murals as they pass by, it might inspire in them a desire to create art that can last a lifetime. As we were painting, I can’t tell you how many people walking by and driving by asked if they could help. That’s what art does. You just find the joy in it.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan