Fort Lauderdale is attempting to find a developer for its new city hall, two years after the former government center was damaged in a flood from a historic rainstorm.
Six groups filed proposals to build a new city hall at 100 North Andrews Avenue, with some of the applications proffering two or more alternative designs.
The previous eight-story, Brutalist-style gray concrete building with a fortress-like appearance was completed in 1969.
In 2023, record rainfall led to floods in Fort Lauderdale, with water pouring into the former city hall building’s basement. The building was demolished in November and staff has been working in leased space elsewhere.
In May, Meridiam Infrastructure North America, the builder of the PortMiami Tunnel and an affiliate of Paris-based global investment and asset manager Meridiam, filed an unsolicited proposal to partner with the city on a new city hall. Under a state law requirement, the city opened the opportunity for other developers to submit competing applications by Aug. 5.
Here is an inside look at what each group proposes:
- Balfour’s three options
Malvern, Pennsylvania-based Balfour Beatty, a global infrastructure firm, offered three options designed by Kobi Karp and DLR Group. Costs for the proposals aren’t listed.
The first option is a 250,000-square-foot city hall with a library and a small commercial space. The second option adds additional floors for lease to retailers and office users other than the city. And the third option is a large campus consisting of one of the first two options plus another building with residential or commercial uses, the filing shows.
The proposal shows a target completion date of mid-2028.
- Meridiam’s three options
Meridiam outlines three Zyscovich-designed options.
The firm’s largest proposal is for a 12-story, 340,000-square-foot building with a podium of up to three stories with services such as child care, a wellness center and a gallery.
Alternatively, Meridiam also outlines a baseline proposal for a seven-story, 200,000-square-foot city hall with a two-story podium with “limited shared spaces,” the filing shows.
The middle ground option is for a 10-story, 275,000-square-foot building with a podium of up to three stories. Under this proposal, the commission chambers and the common areas will be smaller than in the firm’s largest city hall option, the filing shows.
The estimated project capital expenditures will range from $172 million to $292 million, according to the proposal.
Completion of the commission chambers is expected in late 2028, with the full project buildout expected in 2029.
- Fort Lauderdale Civic Hall Partnership
A consortium of firms that includes Melbourne, Australia-based Plenary Group as the project developer and lead equity partner, proposes an oval-shaped, 10-story city hall.
Designed by Palma and PGAL architecture firms, the building would span 196,000 square feet, according to the proposal.
Completion would be in late 2028. The project is estimated to cost $280 million.
- Fort Lauderdale Beacon Collaborative
Gilbane Development Company proposes an Arquitectonica-designed building, with its most notable feature a wave-like awning.
Providence, Rhode Island-based Gilbane wants to build a 229-foot tall building, with its proposal emphasizing hurricane-proof windows, energy efficiency and public spaces. The expected completion is in 2027.
V. Industry Grade Construction Group
The proposal doesn’t identify an architect or list the project’s height or square footage. It lists an expected completion in 2028 and a fully private financing structure that will require no upfront city expenditure.
VI. Cypress West
Cypress West, an entity led by Sheldon Gross of Hillsboro Beach, proposes a new government center with two campuses.
The city’s back office operations would be at a North Operations Campus at 1515 West Cypress Creek Road in Fort Lauderdale, a building on which Cypress West has the leasehold and that’s currently used by the Fort Lauderdale Police Department. The building is in an X flood zone, which designates areas least exposed to flood risk.
The second portion of the campus would be a new, roughly 100,000-square-foot building at 100 North Andrews Avenue. The final design, size and other features would be determined collaboratively with the city.
“Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all financing approach, our development team will work collaboratively with [the city] to explore various financing structures,” the application says.
This proposal also projects a 2028 completion.
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