First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale Campus Receives a Facelift with an Award-Worthy Family Village Courtyard

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 4, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- An idle outdoor space on First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale's campus was recently transformed into a new Family Village Courtyard. More than 350 church members and guests were able to enjoy this new space at their grand opening event.

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"We were very excited to show off this new addition to the church campus that offers a great outdoor venue for all sorts of activities and takes advantage of our beautiful South Florida weather," said Rev. Dr. Russ Ritchel, Pastor at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale. "The support we received for the grand opening shows just how excited our members are to welcome the Family Village Courtyard to the community."

Located next to The Harbor at the Hoch Youth Center, the Family Village Courtyard features multiple seating options, including natural stone seating walls and benches and covered areas set amongst natural plant life. The courtyard also offers increased pedestrian circulation. The new space will be used by the church and church members for events, cookouts, youth and adult activities, and future church celebrations.

The Family Village Courtyard project, which was completed by Cadence, an urban design and landscape architecture practice located in Fort Lauderdale, was recently nominated for a City of Fort Lauderdale Community Appearance Award. The courtyard has also been designated as Florida-Friendly by the Florida Yards & Neighborhoods (FYN) branch of the Florida-Friendly Landscaping (FFL) Program and as a Florida Friendly Yard by FloridaYards.org. Both programs recognize landscapes for being environmentally friendly.

"This new courtyard brings us one step closer to realizing our goal of having an enclosed campus with ample functional spaces for congregants and visitors to engage in worship and fellowship," said Rev. Dr. Ritchel.

Plans for improvements to the First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale campus include renovations to Fellowship Hall where Sunday contemporary worship services are held, renovations to the Sanctuary where traditional worship services are held, and renovations to the east parking areas. The church also plans to improve access to Las Olas.

For more information on First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale's traditional and contemporary worship services, visit www.firstpres.cc.

About First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale
Founded in 1912, First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale is located on the banks of the New River in the historic Colee Hammock neighborhood in downtown Ft. Lauderdale. With more than 1,800 members, and a strong core of volunteers, First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale prides itself in offering something for everyone, regardless of age. Since 1947, First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale has operated Happyland Day School, a pre-school for ages two to Kindergarten that provides a quality Christian environment for the children of the community. Adult, youth and children choirs as well as youth groups offer ample opportunity for fellowship at any age. An Adult Activity Center is open to senior citizens and features weekly lunches, entertainment and monthly bus trips. First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Lauderdale offers three regular Sunday services as well as special worship services held throughout the year to commemorate significant days. For more information, please visit the website at www.firstpres.cc.

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SOURCE First Presbyterian Church of Fort Lauderdale

Related Links

http://www.firstpres.cc