Piece by piece, historic city hall restored

With an estimated $4 million of Coral Gables city funds allocated this year to restore city hall, next up are to replace windows and seal the exterior walls.

Since city hall is a historic building, there is a process for every step and the different phases of renovations, said Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson.

“My last update on this was about three weeks ago when I said it takes four months to create the first sample (of the various window designs) and that sample is going to be reviewed for comment by the historic preservation board and next it goes to the commission to approve the design and then we can move forward,” she explained. “It can be a tedious process.”

The city staff is first taking care of the exterior of the city hall before they even start the interior, Ms. Anderson said.

With $10.4 million of city funds already allocated through 2023, the building’s leaky and damaged roof was the first thing that was fixed. Roof repairs included the replacement of the main tile roof and the copper metal roofs of the clock tower and the elevator tower.

Coral Gables City Hall at 405 Biltmore Way is a historically designated site on the US National Register of Historic Places. P.J. Davis Construction built the building along with architects Phineas Paist and Harold Steward on an estimated $200,000 budget. The iconic structure has a premier location on the west end of Miracle Mile and has been the city’s seat of government since 1928.

The three-story building was constructed with local limestone and has a stucco exterior, a Corinthian Colonnade and a clock tower. It was planned by Coral Gables founder George Merrick as he worked to create a Spanish-Mediterranean city. The tower interior is highlighted by a mural painted by Denman Fink, Mr. Merrick’s uncle, who designed many buildings in the city.

City hall houses the offices of the mayor and commissioners, the city’s manager, attorney, clerk and Finance Department.

“During our visit to Tallahassee in February, commissioners Menendez, Castro and I met with the Florida Department of Historical Resources in order to seek out funding to help cover the costs of restoration,” said Commissioner Ariel Fernandez. “The goal set by the commission last budget cycle was to prioritize city hall restoration work, in order to ensure it is preserved for generations to come. We continue to work towards that goal.”