EDMC owned the college from 1973 until 2017, when, facing declining enrollment, multiple fraud charges brought by faculty and students, and accreditation issues at some of its schools, the company sold the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, along with other properties, to Dream Center Education, a Los Angeles-based Pentecostal organization.

Butterly established location, recruited staff, provided advertisement and news stories across the country to entice students to attend the Art Institute in the Ft Lauderdale area.

Two years later, in November 1973, the school was purchased from Wheeler by the Education Management Corporation (EDMC).

It wouldn't be for another four years in 1979, however, that the State of Florida officially recognized the school and gave it authorization to award Associate of Science degrees.

For the next seven years, the college did not see any significant changes, until in May 1986 when the decision was made to relocate the school from Las Olas Boulevard to 1799 SE 17th Street.