SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              Washington, DC 20549

                        ---------------------------------

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT

                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) of the
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
                         ---------------------------------


                                 Date of Report

                               September 26, 2002
                     (Date of earliest event reported)


                           BankAtlantic Bancorp, Inc.
              (Exact name of registrant as specified in its Charter)


                 Florida                              34-027228
--------------------------------------       -----------------------------
    (State of other jurisdiction or            (Commission File Number)
     incorporation or organization)



        1750 East Sunrise Blvd.                  33304
                                                 -----
        Ft. Lauderdale, Florida                 (Zip Code)
        -----------------------
(Address of principal executive offices)

                                   65-0507804
                            -----------------------
                       (IRS Employer Identification No.)




                                 (954) 760-5000
              (Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

                                 Not Applicable
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)










Item 5.  Other Events

     On October 2,  2002,  BankAtlantic  Bancorp,  Inc.  issued a press  release
announcing the sale of an aggregate of $35 million of trust preferred securities
in two separate  transactions  on September 26 and September 27, 2002. The sales
of the trust  preferred  securities  were part of larger pooled trust  preferred
securities offerings and were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933. A
copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.


Item 7.       Financial Statements and Exhibits


     (c)      Exhibits

              99.1               Press Release dated October 2, 2002.






                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

                                                      BANKATLANTIC BANCORP, INC.

                                                      By:/s/Mark Wendel
                                                      -----------------
                                                         Mark Wendel
                                                     Senior Vice President
                                                        - Controller


Dated: October 2, 2002









                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit           Description

99.1                       Press Release dated October 2, 2002.




                                                                   EXHIBIT 99.1


BankAtlantic Bancorp Completes Issuance Of $35 Million Of Trust Preferred
Securities

     FORT LAUDERDALE,  Fla., Oct. 2 -- BankAtlantic  Bancorp,  Inc. (NYSE:  BBX)
parent company of BankAtlantic, Levitt Companies, and Ryan Beck & Co., announced
today that it sold an aggregate of $35 million of trust preferred  securities in
two separate  transactions  on September 26 and  September  27, 2002.  The trust
preferred  securities pay interest quarterly at a floating rate equal to 3-month
LIBOR plus 340 basis points.  The securities are redeemable after September 2007
and are due September 2032. The net proceeds of  approximately  $34 million will
be used primarily to refinance outstanding debt with interest rates ranging from
9% to 9.5%.

     These  sales,  each  part of a larger  pooled  trust  preferred  securities
offering, were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933 and, accordingly,
the trust  preferred  securities  may not be sold in the  United  States  absent
registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

About BankAtlantic Bancorp:


     BankAtlantic  Bancorp  (NYSE:  BBX)  is a  diversified  financial  services
holding company and the parent company of BankAtlantic,  Levitt  Companies,  and
Ryan Beck & Co. Through these subsidiaries, BankAtlantic Bancorp provides a full
line of products and services  encompassing  consumer  and  commercial  banking,
brokerage and  investment  banking,  and real estate  development.  BankAtlantic
Bancorp is one of the largest financial institutions  headquartered in the State
of Florida.


     BankAtlantic,  "Florida's Most  Convenient  Bank," provides a comprehensive
offering of banking  services and  products  via its broad  network of community
branches throughout Florida and its online banking division -- BankAtlantic.com.


     Seven-Day  Branch Banking -- Monday through  Sunday.  Saturday branch lobby
hours are 8:30 A.M. - 3:00 P.M., and drive-thru  hours are 7:30 A.M. - 6:00 P.M.
Sunday branch lobby hours are 11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M., and  drive-thru  hours are
11:00 A.M. - 4:00 P.M.  Extended  branch  lobby hours are 8:30 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.,
Monday  through  Wednesday,  and 8:30 A.M. - 8:00  P.M.,  Thursday  and  Friday.
Extended  drive-thru hours are 7:30 A.M. - 8:00 P.M., Monday through  Wednesday,
and 7:30 A.M. - 8:00 P.M., Thursday and Friday.


Levitt Companies is the parent company of Levitt and Sons and Core Communities.


Levitt and Sons, America's oldest homebuilder and first to build planned
suburban communities, currently develops single-family homes in its active adult
residential developments throughout Florida.


     Core Communities develops master-planned  communities in Florida, including
its original and best known, St. Lucie West -- a 4,600-acre community with 4,000
built and occupied homes, 150 businesses employing 5,000 people and a university
campus.  New  master-planned   developments  include   Westchester,   now  under
development  on Florida's  Treasure Coast in St. Lucie County,  featuring  5,600
residences, a commercial town center and a world-class corporate park.


     Ryan Beck & Co. is a full-service  broker dealer engaging in  underwriting,
market making, distribution, and trading of equity and debt securities. The firm
also provides money management services, general securities brokerage, including
financial  planning  for  the  individual  investor,  consulting  and  financial
advisory services to financial  institutions and middle market  companies.  Ryan
Beck & Co. also provides  independent  research in the  financial  institutions,
energy, healthcare, technology, and consumer product industries. Ryan Beck & Co.
recently  acquired  certain assets and related entities from Gruntal & Co., LLC,
including the  acquisition  of The GMS Group,  LLC. The combined firm now has in
excess of 600 retail account executives located in offices nationwide.

    For further information, please visit our websites:

     www.BankAtlantic.com
     --------------------
     www.LevittandSons.com
     ---------------------
     www.CoreCommunities.com
     -----------------------
     www.LevittCommercial.com
     ------------------------
     www.RyanBeck.com
     ----------------
     www.Cumber.com
     --------------
     www.GMSgroup.com
     ----------------

      To receive  future news  releases or  announcements  directly  via email,
please   access  the  e-News   banner  on  the   Investor   Relations   page  at
www.BankAtlantic.com. BankAtlantic Bancorp Contact Info:

     Investor Relations: Leo Hinkley, Tel: (954) 760-5317,
     Fax: (954) 760-5415, or InvestorRelations@BankAtlantic.com.
                             ----------------------------------

     Corporate Communications: Sharon Lyn, Tel: (954) 760-5402 or
     CorpComm@BankAtlantic.com.
     -------------------------

     Public Relations for BankAtlantic: Boardroom Communications,
     Tel: (954) 370-8999, Alison Steinberg: alison@boardroompr.com.
                                            ----------------------

     Matters  discussed  in  this  press  release  may  contain  forward-looking
statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of
1995. Actual results,  performance or achievements  could differ materially from
those  contemplated,  expressed  or  implied by the  forward-looking  statements
contained  herein.  These  forward-looking  statements  are based largely on the
expectations of BankAtlantic  Bancorp, Inc. ("the Company") and are subject to a
number of risks and  uncertainties  that are subject to change  based on factors
which are, in many instances,  beyond the Company's  control,  and other factors
detailed  in reports  filed by the  Company  with the  Securities  and  Exchange
Commission.