Coral Gables officials have approved a $40 million bond agreement with Thornton Construction to fully restore the city’s landmark City Hall at 405 Biltmore Way, kicking off a multi-year project expected to wrap up in 2029.
The Mediterranean Revival building, completed in 1928 for roughly $200,000, was designed by architects Phineas Paist and Harold Steward and built by P.J. Davis Construction. Its limestone and stucco exterior, Corinthian colonnade, and clock tower have made it one of the most recognizable civic buildings in South Florida, and a mural by artist Denman Fink inside the tower remains a point of local pride. The new bond financing, combined with city cash on hand, will fund a ground-up restoration led by R.J. Heisenbottle Architects, a firm with a long track record on historic preservation projects across the region.
City Manager Peter Iglesias and Thornton Construction Executive Vice President Dagoberto Diaz confirmed that work is set to begin this month. Once the project wraps, city departments currently spread across temporary space will be reorganized across the restored building’s three floors. In the meantime, residents and visitors can expect a construction fence around the site featuring renderings of the finished building, a familiar sight at major preservation projects around Miami-Dade.
For the small businesses that line Biltmore Way and the surrounding Miracle Mile corridor, a multi-year restoration carries real implications. Projects like this one tend to bring extra foot traffic from contractors, inspectors, and curious residents during the build, and a fully restored, landmark City Hall is likely to be a draw for Coral Gables’ downtown retail and dining scene once the fencing comes down. Business owners in the area may want to plan now for construction-related parking and access changes as work ramps up this fall.
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Source: Miami Today