The History Of Poinsettia Heights
Building Of A Community 1940s To Present
The original development was called "North Ridge" and was built by Gill Construction Company right after World War II in the 1940s and early 1950s. Fort Lauderdale was a small city back then with a population of about 25,000 residents that were surrounded by thousands of acres of agricultural and undeveloped land. George Gill Sr, built middle income housing for servicemen and their families in the neighborhood due to a shortage of housing across the country caused by the great depression. Fort Lauderdale was well established as a military town with the Merle Fogg Air Field and a US Navy Section base located at Port Everglades back then.
Today approximately 1,030 single family homes mostly comprised of 1950s and 1960s era homes line the streets from 15th Avenue on the west to 20th Avenue and Lake Melva on the east. The Middle River forms a natural boundary to the North and 13th Street separates it from the neighboring Lake Ridge.
Formation Of The Association 1989
In the 1980s Townhomes and Condos were beginning to be built throughout Fort Lauderdale and began to encroach into the Poinsettia Heights posing a threat to the beauty and charm of the neighborhood. The Poinsettia Heights Civic Association (a volunteer community service organization) was founded on February 1, 1989 by a group of concerned residents to protect the neighborhoods charm by seeking re-zoning of the neighborhood.
Due to the re-zoning efforts of the Poinsettia Heights Civic Association the neighborhoods zoning was changed to single family residential. Townhomes and Condos are no longer allowed to be built within the neighborhood itself and are only allowed to be built along the two main roads to this day.
Today, the Associations focus is volunteer work within the neighborhood and with the City of Fort Lauderdale's Green Your Routine Program, working to resolve neighborhood issues with zoning and traffic, and supporting community events.