From Custom Vans to Community Care: A Legacy Reborn at Boulevard Gardens

By The Westside Gazette

     In a city constantly evolving, where land changes hands and skylines shift, there are rare places where the past does not disappear; it transforms. The property at 17 NW 27th Avenue in Fort Lauderdale is one of those places.

For decades, it stood not just as a business site, but as a living testament to vision, sacrifice, and service. Today, it is preparing to become Boulevard Gardens, a 93-unit affordable senior housing development. But long before blueprints and groundbreaking ceremonies, this land carried a different kind of blueprint, one drawn by the hands and hearts of Willie and Loretta London.

A Hub of Innovation and Imagination

There was a time when stepping onto this property meant stepping into the future.

     London’s Van Supplies was not just a shop; it was a destination. Willie London was ahead of his time, transforming ordinary vans into rolling showcases of creativity and technology. Long before customization became mainstream, his work featured voice-activated Viper alarm systems, crushed velvet interiors, rooftop conversions, custom paint jobs, and even early installations of televisions and VCRs.

People didn’t just come for a service; they came for an experience.

And in many ways, that spirit of innovation mirrored the larger vision the Londons had for their lives and their community.

Educators by Day, Servants by Calling

Both Willie and Loretta London were educators with Broward County Public Schools. But teaching, for them, did not end when the school bell rang.

By day, Willie ran the business. By night, he poured into minds as an administrator and principal for evening programs at schools like Parkway Middle and Dillard High. Loretta, equally committed, balanced her teaching career with running the business operations providing notary services, immigration assistance, tax preparation, and even performing marriage ceremonies.

Their work was not divided between professions. It was unified by purpose.

On that same property, they established 1st Choice for Educational Tutoring, extending their classroom into the community and ensuring that young people had access to mentorship and academic support.

More Than a Business—A Place to Belong

The Londons understood something many overlook: community is built through consistency, compassion, and presence.

The site evolved into a multi-layered space of service. It housed a church for fellowship. It offered nourishment through Source 1 Café and HotBoyz BBQ. It became a refuge for those in need not just for a meal, but for dignity.

Housing was perhaps the most profound expression of their commitment. Apartments, efficiencies, and one-room units provided shelter for individuals and families who had few options. Rent was often below market, and sometimes, not collected at all.

There were moments when tenants stayed months, even years, without paying. But eviction was not the Londons’ first instinct. Compassion was.

Even in later years, as transition loomed, the mission did not change. The family continued serving the unhoused, providing meals, clothing, and resources meeting people exactly where they were.

A Family Legacy Rooted in Service

What was built on that property did more than sustain a business it sustained a family.

Willie and Loretta London raised their children Andra Gunn, LeKeith London, and LaToya S. London within that ecosystem of work, discipline, and giving. The lessons were not taught they were lived. The next generation didn’t just inherit a legacy; they helped build it.

And that legacy now guides them still.

A Difficult Decision, A Greater Purpose

Letting go of land is never just a transaction. It is memory. It is history. It is identity.

For the London family, the decision to sell was deeply emotional. Developers had come and gone over the years, but this was not about the highest offer. It was about alignment.

They ultimately chose a path forward with Landmark Development Corporation, a partner committed to continuing the site’s mission of service only now at a scale that could impact even more lives.

Boulevard Gardens: The Next Chapter

Boulevard Gardens will bring 93 units of affordable housing for seniors to a region where such opportunities are urgently needed.

This development is not an interruption of the site’s history it is its continuation.

For decades, the Londons provided housing, support, and stability on a small scale. Now, that same spirit will be expanded to serve dozens more, offering seniors a place to live with dignity and security.

As one of the few remaining sites in unincorporated Broward County capable of supporting a project of this magnitude, the development also represents economic renewal bringing revitalization, increased property values, and renewed opportunity to the surrounding community.

Honoring the Past While Building the Future

Progress should never come at the cost of memory.

As this new chapter unfolds, there is a growing call for the community and local leadership to formally recognize what came before. Designating the area as “London’s Avenue” would ensure that the legacy of Willie and Loretta London remains permanently etched into the fabric of the city.

Because before this land was scheduled for development, it was already changing lives.

A Full Circle Moment

For LaToya S. London, this moment is not just historical it is deeply personal.

What once was her parents’ life’s work will now become a new foundation for community impact. And in that transition, there is both loss and profound purpose.

She reflects on it with a powerful truth:“Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.”

You’re Invited

The community is invited to witness this moment of transformation:

Boulevard Gardens Groundbreaking Ceremony

Date: May 15, 2026

Time: 9:30 AM

Location: 17 NW 27th Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL

LaToya S. London will be among those speaking, representing not just a family, but a legacy that helped shape a community.

In the end, Boulevard Gardens is more than a development.

It is proof that when roots are planted in service, what grows even generations later can still change lives.

The post From Custom Vans to Community Care: A Legacy Reborn at Boulevard Gardens appeared first on The Westside Gazette.