New Fort Lauderdale City Hall to open by 2028, mayor says. Next up: Choosing a builder

Three years from now, Fort Lauderdale should have a new City Hall to replace the one it lost when floodwaters destroyed the building in April 2023.

It’s too early to say what the building will look like, how tall it will be or how much it will cost. But this much is sure: The new building will be nothing like the old building.

“Fort Lauderdale has grown in the last 60 years and so have the needs,” Mayor Dean Trantalis said. “The old City Hall reflected a bygone era. Today we are looking for a more forward-looking iconic design that is more reflective of the future rather than holding us back to the past.”

The old City Hall was an eight-story concrete building with a fortress-like appearance.

Built in the 1960s, it stood its ground for decades at 100 N. Andrews Ave. until floodwaters breached its basement more than two years ago, sealing its fate.

The building was demolished last year. Fort Lauderdale plans to build a new City Hall in its place.

The city still has much work to do before the building breaks ground next year, Trantalis says.

Right now, the commission is in the process of selecting a new developer to design and build a modern City Hall, with a decision expected in early December.

Commissioners recently winnowed the field of competitors from six firms to four.

Two of the developers — Cypress West and Industry 1 Developments — were knocked out of the running because they did not meet the minimum criteria, according to an outside consultant, Jacobs Project Management Co.

The firm helped city staff shortlist the contenders from six to the following four: FTL Beacon Collaborative, FTL City Hall Partners, Balfour Beatty and Fort Lauderdale Civic Partners.

All four teams are expected to make their presentations during a commission meeting on Dec. 2.

The city is requesting that all four contenders also provide an initial cost estimate of the new City Hall.

Fort Lauderdale awarded a $3.5 million contract in June to Jacobs to help provide technical oversight and project management support to city staff throughout the planning, design and construction of the new City Hall.

Jacobs officials shared the following details with commissioners about the four firms in the running.

Balfour Beatty: Balfour Beatty Construction oversaw the $1.3 billion Broward County Convention Center and Hotel expansion in Fort Lauderdale. Recently completed the Veneto Las Olas project in Fort Lauderdale. Participated in delivering the Kissimmee City Hall expansion project. Balfour Beatty Investments operates a portfolio of P3 concessions, mainly in health care facilities, highways, energy and transmission, student housing, residential regeneration and private housing.

FTL Beacon Collaborative: Gilbane Development provides project management and develops projects, mostly in the real estate sector (office, commercial). Completed projects in residential communities, mixed-use developments, parking and corporate headquarters. Founded in 1870 and has operated in Florida for 53 years. Partnering with Fengate Asset Management, a major equity investor on this project.

FTL City Hall Partners: Plenary Americas US Holdings developed the Miami-Dade County Courthouse, which is near completion. Developed the Long Beach Civic Center in California. Stiles, one of its team members, has developed numerous Class A high-rise office buildings in downtown Fort Lauderdale. Plenary Americas is a leading long-term investor, developer and operator of public and private infrastructure, specializing in public-private partnerships, local development and asset management.

Fort Lauderdale Civic Partners: Meridiam developed the $1 billion Port Miami tunnel. A developer and long-term investor in public-private partnership (P3) infrastructure projects including courthouses, tunnels, airports and research centers. Team member Zyscovich developed the 2020 Design Criteria Package for the Joint Government Center. Developed the $3.9 billion full replacement of La Guardia Airport Terminal B and the Long Beach Courthouse. Meridiam’s projects range in capital cost from $250 million to $3.2 billion.

During a recent commission meeting, Vice Mayor John Herbst argued the city should give all six developers the courtesy of allowing them to present.

“A lot of these folks have spent a significant of time, effort and money putting this together,” Herbst said. “We’re going to be living with this for the next 50 to 75 years. I really would like to hear from all the presenters.”

His colleagues, however, preferred to narrow the list down from six.

Undeterred, Herbst made a case for considering the proposal by Sheldon Gross, the managing partner of Cypress West and leaseholder of a building at 1515 W. Cypress Creek Road in northern Fort Lauderdale.

The Fort Lauderdale Police Department moved operations to the Kaplan building two years ago after construction began on the city’s new police headquarters.

The commission approved the $1.5 million-a-year lease in September 2023.

Herbst championed the move to the Kaplan building at the time, saying he was trying to help a business owner in his district fill vacant space.

Now he says Gross and his plan deserve to be considered as an option for City Hall space.

“I think it’s a mistake to exclude Cypress West,” Herbst said. “I believe this is the most cost-effective and speed-to-delivery option we have. Don’t get me wrong. I like the four other proposals we have. But the only one that we can move into immediately is Cypress West.”

Gross submitted a proposal suggesting a “dual-campus” approach.

An existing North Operations Campus at 1515 West Cypress would house the city’s back office operations in a Class A office building, under the proposal by Gross. In addition, a new Downtown City Hall at 100 N. Andrews Ave. would be home to all public-facing team members and public-facing meeting venues, including commission chambers.

Gross suggested the city continue leasing the space or do a lease-purchase or outright purchase of the existing office building at 1515 West Cypress Creek.

“I think we are doing the city taxpayers a disservice by not taking the least expensive and fastest option,” Herbst told the commission.

In previous discussions, the mayor and Commissioners Steve Glassman and Ben Sorensen have made it clear they prefer to keep City Hall downtown.

“Spreading government operations throughout the city is inefficient and costly,” Trantalis told the Sun Sentinel this week. “Our staff members do not recommend conducting business remotely or in separate areas of the city. Thus, the Cypress West proposal is not an option.”

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan