Joyce Davis, Mayor, City of Dania Beach

May 2026 — Invest: spoke with Joyce Davis, mayor of the city of Dania Beach, about investment priorities, resiliency work, and the projects shaping the city’s next chapter. “We don’t lead with promises. We lead with results,” Davis said.

What are the city’s top priorities for attracting investment and new business in the year ahead?

We have opportunities that speak directly to business attraction and placemaking. One is a half-acre lot the city recently purchased next to Jimmie’s Chocolates on Federal Highway U.S. 1. It’s a visible site, less than a mile from the airport, and we’re bringing our team together to decide the best use, whether that’s a restaurant or another concept that draws visitors and supports surrounding businesses.

Another priority is the Martin C. Frost Residence, a historic property built in 1923 in Mediterranean Revival style. It had been abandoned for years, and the city acquired it for a little over $3 million. Our plan is to renovate it while preserving the historic exterior and create an event space that adds value to the corridor and gives the community another destination asset.

We’re also excited about the Rita Crockett Beach Sports Academy, a beach sports center designed for sand soccer, beach volleyball, sand pickleball, football, and beach tennis. The goal is to bring tournaments and clinics for all ages and levels, build partnerships like USA Volleyball, and drive tourism by bringing participants from across the country.

Beyond those projects, we’re prioritizing our major corridors, particularly U.S. 1, through community redevelopment efforts focused on revitalization and business recruitment. We’re also leaning into our proximity to Port Everglades, the airport, our marina, and the region’s marine industry to strengthen partnerships and create new economic activity.

Which partnerships or industries are helping drive job creation and long-term growth in the city?

Partnership is one of the most effective tools we have because it lets us deliver projects at a higher level while protecting the city’s resources. City Place is a good example. It’s part of our downtown corridor and provides an affordable housing option, but it presents with a higher-end feel because of how financing and design came together. The project relied on public, private, and philanthropic partnerships with the city of Dania Beach investing $1 million alongside outside support, and it’s helping build momentum for the broader downtown arts and entertainment district now under design.

We’ve also updated our strategic framework to keep pace with the city’s trajectory. We moved from our 2036 vision plan to Vision 2040 to reflect new opportunities and future-focused priorities. We have a vision list, and we have administration and city staff focused on execution so we’re not simply setting goals but delivering outcomes. We don’t lead with promises. We lead with results, and that execution mindset is what turns planning into measurable progress.

What tangible progress have you seen in sustainability, infrastructure, and flood mitigation, and how are those improvements affecting development and quality of life?

Flood mitigation is essential for quality of life and long-term development confidence, and we’ve made tangible progress. Our Southeast Drainage Project, the largest infrastructure investment in the city’s history, is well underway. Both Phase 1 and Phase 2 are moving forward, including underground injection wells and pump stations, and the project is scheduled for completion by the end of this year. That matters because flooding challenges don’t come only with hurricanes. We see impacts from king tides, unnamed storms, and regular rainy-season patterns, and residents need predictable solutions.

We also completed the stormwater master plan, which identified 11 areas of vulnerability across the city. Before that, we were often responding reactively, addressing issues neighborhood by neighborhood without a unified strategy. Now we have a clear framework that helps us prioritize work where flooding is most frequent and disruptive. We built the plan using community feedback through our partnership with Calvin, Giordano & Associates, and now we’re executing it.

In addition, the city developed its first-ever resiliency plan and completed a vulnerability assessment to identify risks citywide. That work helps us plan for sea level rise, strengthen watershed planning, and reduce long-term damage and loss.

When you think about wellness and quality of life, what initiatives are you proudest of?

Quality of life is one of our strongest differentiators, and we’ve been intentional about building it through facilities, programming, and partnerships.

We’ve expanded health and wellness initiatives, including an annual 5K with Dania Pointe, our largest employer and economic driver. We also established a weekly walking club in partnership with the city of Hollywood. The walk begins in Dania Beach, follows a route through Hollywood, and comes back around, which is a practical way to prioritize health and strengthen connections between neighboring communities.

Parks and recreation are also driving major impact. In February, we cut the ribbon on a $23 million investment in C.W. Thomas Park. The project includes an artificial turf football field, a new community center, and the city’s first gymnasium, along with courts, a swimming pool, and space for seniors and youth programming. We tore down the old community center and built something that meets the needs of today and the expectations of the future.

We’re also advancing the design phase of the P.J. Meli Park renovation, which represents a major investment in the west side of our city. The project is focused on modernizing the park with updated amenities, improved recreational space, and enhanced accessibility for residents of all ages. As we move through design, our goal is to create a space that reflects the needs of the community while incorporating sustainable features and long-term resiliency. This project will not only elevate quality of life for nearby neighborhoods, but also ensure that our park system continues to grow in a way that is both thoughtful and inclusive.

Community-building matters too. Our Dania After Dark series takes place the second Saturday of every month and uses themed events to bring residents together, strengthen community bonds, and support local activity.

Inclusivity is another priority. We partner with the Dan Marino Foundation, along with Dania Pointe, for Autism Family Awareness Sundays and related education efforts, reinforcing Dania Beach as a community where everyone feels welcomed, valued, and included.

Is there anything you would like to add?

Public safety is the foundation of everything we do. A city cannot grow, attract investment, or build community unless people feel safe where they live, work, and gather. That is why we continue to prioritize traffic enforcement, strengthen security at schools, and expand safety support for religious institutions and local businesses. We are also advancing a co-responder program that pairs law enforcement with mental health professionals when mental health is a factor, ensuring a thoughtful and effective response.

Quality of life is equally important to long term success. Public art is both a personal passion and one of the clearest ways to strengthen identity and reinforce Dania Beach as a destination. Since passing the city’s public art plan in 2021 and establishing the Public Arts Board in 2022, we have delivered projects that are shaping how people experience the city. These include an award winning “Looking Forward” mural at City Hall by Ernesto Marengue, the “Lead With Love” beach mural created through community partnerships, and a veterans park mural at City Hall featuring a large American flag with medallions representing all six branches of the armed forces.

That same philosophy guides our Creative Visions initiative. Rather than starting with a specific wall or directing artists on what to create, we invited them to view the entire city of Dania Beach as a canvas and propose ideas they believe would enhance daily life. Those ideas range from murals and sculpture to temporary installations. We are currently reviewing proposals and interviewing artists, with project selections aligned to our public art budget and long-range vision.

We are continuing to invest in our beach as both a community asset and an economic driver. With funding from Broward County, we are adding 50,000 cubic yards of sand through the Shore Protection Project and planting more than 300,000 native dunes across Dania Beach and neighboring coastal cities. These investments protect our shoreline, enhance resilience, and help ensure the beach remains a place residents enjoy and visitors continue to return.

We are also seeing momentum in our destination assets. Lucky Fish Grill is now open as an oceanfront restaurant, transforming a condemned property into an active public amenity that has quickly become a favorite for both residents and visitors. Projects like these strengthen our local economy while reinforcing the character that makes Dania Beach unique.

Together, these investments protect our hometown character while positioning Dania Beach for sustainable economic growth and long-term value.