Homestead abandons old City Hall to mold

Homestead is getting a new City Hall thanks to $2 million worth of cancer-causing radon gas, pervasive mold and asbestos found in the existing structure, the Miami Herald reported. On Monday the City Council agreed to ditch the old hall for healthier digs – until then 38 of the city’s employees will work in approximately 10,000 square feet of temporary office space. However, the city has not yet announced where it will rent those offices.

Building a new City Hall “is the right thing to do. We can’t have employees in here, breathing in radon, breathing in mold,” City Manager George Gretsas told council members Monday.

Another advantage to selling the old hall is the prime piece of real estate it occupies. In 2010, the value of the 18-acre site was appraised to be approximately $8.5 million, and since then pressure to sell the land has grown. [Miami Herald] – Christopher Cameron