The Pompano Beach CRA is proud to announce the McNab House Restoration and Botanical Gardens is the 2021 winner of the “Out of the Box” category in the annual Florida Redevelopment Association Awards.
“We are honored to have received this prestigious recognition,” said Nguyen Tran, Pompano Beach CRA Director. “The McNab House and Botanical Gardens is an innovative mix of historic preservation and future visioning. The entire team is delighted that our project was selected by this esteemed redevelopment organization.”
The McNab House, built in 1926, was moved from its original location on Atlantic Boulevard when the owners sold the land for development. With the support of the Pompano Beach Historical Society, the Pompano Beach CRA saved the historic home, moving it several blocks to McNab Park, with the vision of transforming the home into a restaurant and the surrounding land into a botanical garden. The goal of the McNab House and Botanical Gardens project is to continue economic growth with the East CRA and Atlantic Boulevard corridor. Activation of the park will encourage more pedestrian activity and create a unique attraction with park elements for residents and visitors to enjoy.
The moving of the McNab House was a TV news sensation, and since then there has been continuous progress on the project, much of which has occurred behind the fence, which obstructs the public view. Recent key milestones include waterproofing of the home’s foundation and then lowering the structure onto the foundation, which will include a basement/wine cellar. To make way for the botanical gardens, the former Chamber of Commerce building was acquired by the CRA and then demolished. In addition, there have been community stakeholder meetings helmed by the award-winning design firm, Bermillo Ajamal & Partners, to receive input about the botanical garden design and to showcase concepts.
“We are thrilled by the progress we have made during these past months,” continued Tran. “There were many structural elements that required completion before moving to the next phase. In the coming months, we look forward to announcing the restaurateur who will be operating the venue and to finalizing the configuration of the botanical gardens.”
