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| Old site of Oceanside Shopping Plaza State of Florida Archives/Florida Memory |
By Jane Feehan
Many who grew up in Fort Lauderdale before 1990 visited Pompano’s
Oceanside Shopping Plaza during its 40-year history. Few know much about its
beginning, demise, the man behind it, and connections to several Fort
Lauderdale businesses.
James B. Kirby (1884-1971) purchased the shopping center
property at the corner of Atlantic Boulevard and State Road A1A in the early
1950s. Inventor of the vacuum cleaner (1906) bearing his name, and developer of the prototype of
today’s home automatic washer/dryer, the Laun-Dry-Ette (1916), Ohioan
Kirby started visiting Fort Lauderdale in the 1920s. After he sold his interest
in Kirby Vacuum to Scott-Fetzer Company in 1961, Kirby moved permanently to
Fort Lauderdale at 3900 N. Ocean Drive (Galt Mile).
Pompano Beach was booming; the new bridge across the Intracoastal brought a steady
stream of traffic to the area. In 1956 the center, developed for about $1
million, opened with 24 stores and parking for 270 cars. Businesses included a
cafeteria, Bill’s Camera and Novelty Shop, Bush’s (home decorations and occasional
furniture) a food market, Las Olas Bakery, gas station, and real estate office. It was also home to Leonard
Taylor Jewelers, site of the 1962, $1.75 million jewelry heist—one of the
largest in South Florida history at the time.
This prestigious corner, home of “Pompano Beach’s luxurious shopping center” was adjacent to Harris’ Imperial House, at 50 N. Ocean Blvd, which opened in 1959. The two-story Polynesian-themed
restaurant was built and operated by father and son team, Sam and George Harris.
Interestingly, they also owned the 4 o’ Clock Club, The Townhouse restaurant
downtown Fort Lauderdale, the popular Seahorse restaurant on Las Olas and the
Bahia Mar restaurant. The Imperial House closed in 1990.
The shopping plaza was sold for $2 million to Louis and Ann Bough in 1972. Their investment grew to be worth more than $10 million in one decade, but shoppers’ interest faded; many more centers offering an expanded shopping experience were being built throughout the area. The plaza was sold and demolished in 2005 to make room for The Plaza at Oceanside, a mixed-use property of condos ($700K and up) and retail. Local historians considered saving its iconic mid-century pylon sign, but it was destroyed with the rest of the center. The picture above shows today’s Plaza at Oceanside.
Sources:
Fort Lauderdale News, Oct. 17, 1954
Miami Herald, Jan. 9, 1955
Fort Lauderdale News, 1956
Fort Lauderdale News, Aug. 30, 1958
Fort Lauderdale News Nov. 29, 1956
Fort Lauderdale News, Feb. 18, 1962
Miami Herald, June 10, 1971
Los Angeles Times, June 9, 1971
South Florida Sun-Sentinel, May 2, 2004
