Architect suggested for convention center renovation

The city manager of Miami Beach is recommending Fentress Architects as the designer of renovations to the city’s convention center.

After a selection committee ranked Fentress first out of eight proposals last month, City Manager Jimmy Morales suggested commissioners should approve negotiations with the firm, the Miami Herald reported. The commission is slated to award the design bid during its April 9 meeting. Miami Beach is looking for a firm to come up with renovation designs before seeking bids for a design-build team for the $500 million project.

Morales cited the 27 years of experience in convention center planning and design that Fentress has in his written recommendation. He said the company “completed 150 public buildings on time and on budget.”

Fentress was part of the second-place team in last year’s $1 billion convention center redevelopment proposal. [Miami Herald] — Eric Kalis