Cleason B. Martin (1916-2006) was a Canadian real estate developer and business owner who operated in both Ontario, Canada, and Broward County, Florida beginning in the late 1970s.
Biography and Background
- Family Roots: He was married to Olive Martin (who served alongside him as a corporate business partner).
Commercial Real Estate and Toddlers Garden
In the late 1970s, the Martins transitioned into commercial development, founding the cross-border Canadian firm Toddlers Garden Limited, Inc.
- The Name: The name of the company was a direct play on his home street address. His primary residence and corporate headquarters were located at 60 Springbrook Gardens in Toronto, Ontario.
- The Concept: He utilized this corporate entity to transition into international building projects, carrying the name of his Canadian street over to his signature project in the United States.
The Springbrook Gardens Development
In early 1979, Martin expanded his business operations into Florida to construct a multi-family waterfront residential property in Fort Lauderdale.
- The Build: He purchased prime waterfront land at 125 N. Birch Road and re-developed the existing building into a four-story, 18-unit mid-rise condominium.
- The Homage: He named the Florida complex Springbrook Gardens, directly mirroring his personal corporate address back in Toronto.
- Business Wind-down: Shortly after completing the project, his foreign development corporation, Toddlers Garden Limited, was involuntarily dissolved in December 1980, transferring the building's governance completely over to its individual unit owners and the newly formed local Homeowners Association (HOA).