WCOM NEWS

8-24-04

Miramar's population tops 100,000, state agrees

MIRAMAR--The state and the city are finally in agreement: Miramar's population has topped 100,000.

City officials have been saying it for more than a year. Now, the state's Bureau of Economic and Business Research at the University of Florida has estimated Miramar's population to be 101,813.

That makes it the fifth largest municipality in Broward County, behind Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood and Coral Springs.

The report also shows Miramar is the 16th largest municipality in the state, and the fastest growing major city as well. The population has grown about 40 percent from 72,739 in 2000.

When Peggy Campell moved to Miramar in 1959, there was nothing but cow pastures west of University Drive.

"Everything has changed, and they call this progress," she said. "Well, I hope that since we are the fastest-growing city in South Florida, the people will now know where Miramar is. Over the years, when I said I lived in Miramar people would ask `where was that?'"

Being a city of 100,000-plus opens doors for funding opportunities. Miramar is now eligible for more money from the Florida Communities Trust as well as police agency and community development block grants, City Manager Robert Payton said.

"We knew we were over 100,000 a year ago, based on our development numbers," Payton said. "But if you want to reap the benefits of the additional funding through grant sources, you would need to have a census update. And doing that just for Miramar, the cost-to-benefit ratio would not be fruitful."

City officials say they expect the population to reach 145,000 to 150,000 in the next five to 15 years.

"We know that people are moving here daily because it's a city where the vision caters to the community and we provide an avenue for quality living," said Commissioner George S. Pedlar, who was elected in 2003 and has lived in Miramar for 12 years.

(source) Sun Sentinel (Lori Sykes) 8-24-04