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Imperial Point HistoryClick Here for Gallery of Pictures We have a small gallery of old pictures started. We hope to add more soon. You can click on any of them for a larger view. No log on required. Do you have any old pictures, brochures or memorabilia from Imperial Point? We'd love a chance to scan them for our website. If interested, contact the Webmaster. A Brief History... October 2006 marks the 46th anniversary of Imperial Point. The time period in which Imperial Point was built was the turbulent 1960's, with the first model homes being constructed right at the end of President Eisenhower's second term and build out occurring during Nixon's early years. So much has changed over the years, yet much has remained the same. We still value our neighborhood friendships, our quiet, safe streets, and the enduring value of our homes. Sunday, October 9, 1960 was a Fall day like many others in South Florida. Fort Lauderdale was drying out from the flooding left by recent heavy rains and folks were going about their business. It was a different city than the one we know today, with a small town look and feel. There were numerous undeveloped areas above Oakland Park Boulevard and many areas were unincorporated to any city. Far up Federal Highway, a new development was holding its formal grand opening that evening. It boasted an elaborate $100,000.00 entranceway covered in antique brick taken from an old Augusta, Georgia post office, along with gardens and two enormous fountains, one on either side of its main entrance street. According to J.P. Taravella, President of Coral Ridge Properties, $35,000,000 worth of new homes were planned for that neighborhood. The development's name: Imperial Point. A model row of 10 homes was built on Imperial Point Drive just west of N.E. 22nd Avenue. Homes such as the Whitehall, the Hampshire, and Westminster were available for inspection by prospective buyers. The homes were innovative, all electric medallion homes featuring the GE Weathertron central air conditioning and heating system. Imperial Point's builder, HaftGaines (led by brothers Burt and Richard Haft and Jack Gaines), strongly emphasized customization along with quality craftsmanship, with buyers being able to determine the smallest details of their home, from the type of kitchen cabinets down to the color of the tile or marble in the bathrooms. The development was initially focused on retirees who purchased homes in Imperial Point as retirement or winter residences. The development proved to be hugely successful, and homes sold in record numbers. Haft Gaines was recognized for its accomplishments through numerous awards, such as being named the official Life Magazine builder for Broward County. A mens' garden club and a womens' club were established over the years as social outlets for residents. A sister development, Royal Oak Hills, opened in Boca Raton in January 1961 and The Landings waterfront community debuted in September 1962. Late 1963 brought a new model row to Imperial Point, the "Street of Dreams" on N.E. 22nd Way just south of Imperial Point Drive. These homes placed an even greater emphasis on luxury and custornization, featuring garden showers, bedroom bay windows, more elaborate decor, and the one of the first applications of the self cleaning oven, a General Electric novelty at the time. Children even began showing up in the advertisements, as more families made Imperial Point their home. By that time, Imperial Point had established itself as a leading luxury home community in Northeast Coral Ridge. As the years passed, buyers began to demand more in their homes. Haft Gaines responded in July 1967 with their Idea Homes, the third model row, which was built just south of the second on N.E. 22nd Way. Would you like a sunken marble tub in your master bath? Perhaps a split level home would be best for your family. How about custom cabinetry? Anything that buyers wanted was available in these Idea Homes. It is interesting to imagine what Imperial Point would look like today if Haft Gaines had begun with those models. By the late 1960's as Imperial Point was building out, the winds of change were sweeping through the building industry in South Florida. More families were relocating to Fort Lauderdale than ever before and Coral Springs, which had begun to sell home sites in 1964, was poised for explosive growth in the niche previously occupied by Imperial Point. By the end of 1969, Haft Gaines had sold the few remaining lots to independent developers and moved on to create the Inverrary Golf & Country Club in Lauderhill, Florida, and the Jackie Gleason Inverrary Golf Classic, now the Honda Classic. |
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