Miami Civic Center Construction Starts at Miami Freedom Park

The city of Miami’s new civic center, which will replace an aging administrative building downtown and the city’s iconic city hall in Coconut Grove, secured a $193 million construction permit, the city confirmed.

The city received its permit July 1, just over a week before construction workers topped off the eight-story, 257,000-square-foot building on July 10. Adler Development is the developer, and Moss Construction is the general contractor.

The building will be part of the 130-acre Miami Freedom Park development, which is a $1 billion project anchored by Inter Miami CF’s stadium near Miami International Airport. The project, which includes a separate $20 million pedestrian bridge from the Metrorail station now under construction, is expected to be completed by the spring of 2028.

The Miami government building under construction at the 73-acre site will combine the city’s administrative functions. Some will move from a downtown Miami office building with the offices of the mayor, five commissioners, city clerk, and other departments will move out of City Hall at 3500 Pan American Drive.

The move would end more than 70 years of city governance at the former Pan Am building, a 1931 Art Deco landmark overlooking Biscayne Bay. Miami bought the property from the airline in 1946 and adapted it into City Hall in 1954. A decade later, the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places for its role in shaping Miami’s aviation and civic identity.

Meanwhile, Miami Freedom Park is gearing up to be one of the largest mixed-use centers in South Florida. In addition to the 25,000-seat stadium, the development will have 1 million square feet of retail, offices and dining space, as well as 750 hotel keys and a 58-acre park with community athletic fields. The stadium’s construction was financed with a $450 million JP Morgan Chase loan.

Nu Stadium, home to Major League Soccer’s Inter Miami, opened a few months ago. The team, led by international star Lionel Messi, is owned by billionaire Jorge Mas, chairman of the Miami-based contractor MasTec, and global soccer star David Beckham.