Plans to redesign Currie Park and redevelop its neighborhood took a step forward Monday, with an agreement to extend Northwood Road to the park, while developer Jeff Greene launches a 500-unit condominium project on the acres of vacant land he owns there.

City commissioners, acting as the Community Redevelopment Agency, voted to extend the road, the heart of the trendy Northwood neighborhood, eastward across North Flagler Drive, toward the waterfront. The road would be designed by urban planner Carlo Ratti and constructed by Greene, with the construction money to be repaid by the agency over five years.

Ratti was hired by the city and Greene several months ago to come up with a conceptual plan for the park’s redesign. The park essentially would serve as a front yard for Greene’s property.

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In the deal approved unanimously Monday, the commissioners also instructed the agency to draft a contract for the second phase of Ratti’s park redesign.

According to Redevelopment Agency Executive Director Jon Ward, Greene said if Northwood Road was constructed, "he would immediately begin development of his initial building containing first floor commercial elements plus approximately 500 upscale condo units above."

The extension would be built in the style of a "rambla," a landscaped, linear park down the center of two lanes of traffic approaching the waterfront.

The road would cost $3 million to $5 million and the Ratti contract would cost $175,000, Ward said.

Several elements of Ratti’s initial concept for the park will be removed, as a result of input from the community and city officials. The proposal for a dramatic, floating plaza extending from the park will be gone from the plans, as likely will Ratti’s concept for small hills and a garage partly concealed by slopes in the park land, Ward said. Greene has raised the possibility of using some of his land across the street from the park for the garage, instead of using waterfront parkland for it, Ward added.

A handful of residents who commented on the project said they were happy to see progress.

"We know what we have to do," one man said. "Just do it. Put the road through. It’s a beautiful waterfront. The only ones who enjoy it now are the homeless…. Please, let’s get this rolling."