Permit systems go completely offline at 4 p.m. today through August 4
Accela and BCLA dark until August 4, Chocolada changes hands, and free hands-only CPR tonight.
The City launches Phase II of its Accela online permitting tool this afternoon, and the switchover comes with a stated downtime window: beginning at 4 p.m. today and ending at 7 a.m. Tuesday, August 4, the Accela Permitting System, the BCLA Permitting System, and the BCLA Code Enforcement System will be completely offline for full migration — inaccessible to the public and to City staff alike. During that window, no permit applications will be accepted and no reviews will be completed. Customers will not be able to submit permit applications or documents online, access permit records, create or access accounts, or make Accela or BCLA payments. If something is time-sensitive, the hours before 4 p.m. are the window. The migration also moves Planning and Urban Design applications into Accela, which covers alcohol beverage permits, variances, certificates of appropriateness, rezonings, designs, site plans, pre-application consultation requests, certificates of use, extended-hour licenses, paint permits, sign permits, public-art permits, and zoning-verification letters. Starting August 4, all new permit applications must go through Accela. Existing BCLA permits remain in BCLA until further notice. Questions go to 954-921-3335 or ePermits@hollywoodfl.org.
Chocolada Bakery & Cafe sold to the owners of The Greek Joint
Chocolada Bakery & Cafe at 1926 Hollywood Boulevard has changed hands after more than two decades downtown. What Now Miami reported on July 23 that Florida DBPR records show Catering by JAC LLC purchased the business, and that the company has the same ownership as its neighbor, The Greek Joint. Chocolada opened in 2004 and is known for European pastries, custom cakes, coffee, and casual cafe fare. A local Hollywood Beach TV post placed the ownership change in July 2026 and reported that the cafe continues serving the same desserts and cakes. No menu change and no grand reopening have been announced.
Beach cleanup Friday morning at North Beach Park
Volunteers from Whiting-Turner Company will remove litter and debris from the sandy beach at Hollywood North Beach Park on Friday, July 31. The work starts at the Carpenter House, 4414 N. Surf Road, and runs from 9:30 to 11 a.m. It is free.
Free hands-only CPR class tonight at Memorial Regional
The Hollywood HERO course runs tonight from 6 to 8 p.m. in Conference Room 4A at Memorial Regional Hospital, 3501 Johnson Street. The class itself is a one-hour session covering three things: recognizing cardiac arrest, calling for help, and performing hands-only CPR until first responders arrive. It is taught by volunteer ER staff and EMS personnel, and it is free — a registration link is available on the City event page. One thing to know before you register: participants receive a Hollywood HERO completion certificate, not an American Heart Association certification, so it may not meet employment requirements. If you need the training for a job, verify what your employer accepts. If you are taking it for your own readiness, what you leave with is the sequence — recognize cardiac arrest, call for help, and keep hands-only compressions going until first responders arrive.
"Michael" on the ArtsPark lawn Friday night
ArtsPark Amphitheater at 1 Young Circle screens "Michael" on Friday from 8 to 10 p.m. It is free and family-friendly, with lawn seating — bring a blanket or a beach chair, because the grass is the seating plan. Pack around two rules while you are at it: City parks are plastic- and foam-free, and single-use plastic water bottles and utensils are prohibited. So the short version is an 8 p.m. start, your own seating, a refillable bottle, and no disposable cutlery.
Dream Car show takes the 1900 block Sunday
Sunday, August 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the 1900 block of Hollywood Boulevard hosts the Dream Car classic car show, featuring dozens of classic cars, trucks, and other vehicles of interest. Admission is free for spectators. If you would rather bring something of your own to put on display, vehicle registration is $25.
Free music and room to dance at the Beach Theatre Thursday
The Hollywood Beach Theatre at 200 Johnson Street has live music Thursday, July 30, from 7 to 9 p.m., free, and the beachside theater has space for dancing. No performer is named for Thursday, which fits how this series works: the music is programmed by Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort, and the City is not the organizer. The broader series runs Wednesday through Sunday in the same 7-to-9 p.m. window, so Thursday is one of five nights a week on the schedule.
Arborists teach the three-cut method Thursday at Kay Gaither Community Center
Structural training is the part of tree care that pays off in high winds, and it is on the agenda Thursday at the free pruning workshop at the Kay Gaither Community Center, 6291 Funston Street, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Certified arborists and urban-forestry experts from UF/IFAS Extension Broward County cover the three-cut method, the four Ds — dead, damaged, diseased, dying — and structural training for young trees in high winds. The session opens indoors with a presentation and then moves outside for a pruning demonstration, so dress for the second half: comfortable outdoor clothes, sturdy shoes, a hat, and a reusable water bottle. Registration is required even though the workshop is free.