Coral Gables pushes forward renovation of historic city hall

After being introduced to the City Hall floor plan designs, Coral Gables city officials are moving forward with the historic building’s construction documentation approval.

 At last week’s meeting, the city commission added a controlled partition at the reception archway on the second floor, security hardening, and soundproof acoustics before agreeing on the Coral Gables City Hall renovation plans presented by R.J. Heisenbottle Architects.

The architectural firm also showed where each city official and administrative department will reside. The city manager and city clerk offices will be on the first floor. The second floor will hold city officials and the commission chamber. In the mezzanine floor, the IT department will have its offices. The third floor is where the city attorney, state representative, and the capital improvement plan (CIP) will have offices.

 “We just wanted to show the actual floor plans to make sure we are fine with everything,” said Peter Iglesias, Coral Gables city manager. “We would like to move with construction documents, and we will protect that secondary wall, and we will have a very robust security system.”

Coral Gables City Hall at 405 Biltmore Way is a historically designated site on the US National Register of Historic Places. P.J. Davis Construction built the building along with architects Phineas Paist and Harold Steward on an estimated $200,000 budget. The iconic structure has a premier location on the west end of Miracle Mile and has been the city’s seat of government since 1928.

The three-story building was constructed with local limestone and has a stucco exterior, a Corinthian Colonnade, and a clock tower. It was planned by Coral Gables founder George Merrick as he worked to create a Spanish-Mediterranean city. The tower interior is highlighted by a mural painted by Denman Fink, Mr. Merrick’s uncle, who designed many buildings in the city.

In November 2024, after safety concerns were raised about City Hall’s structure, the commission meeting was held in the city’s police and fire conference meeting room as then-manager Amos Rojas Jr. looked for a single place to move all the offices this year and evacuate City Hall. Currently, city commission meetings are being held at City Hall’s commission chambers as renovations continue.

 Construction and repairs are being proposed to start as early as June, Mr. Iglesias said at an October city commission meeting.