Fort Lauderdale is seeking a developer for its new city hall after the previous government center was destroyed by flooding in 2023. The former eight-story building, completed in 1969, was heavily damaged when record rainfall led to water pouring into its basement. The structure was demolished in November of that year, and city staff have since been working from leased offices.
The city received six proposals to construct a new city hall at 100 North Andrews Avenue. Some applicants submitted multiple design options.
Balfour Beatty, an infrastructure firm based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, presented three alternatives designed by Kobi Karp and DLR Group. Their first option features a 250,000-square-foot city hall with a library and small commercial space. The second adds additional floors for lease to retailers and office users not affiliated with the city. The third option proposes a larger campus that includes one of the initial designs plus another building with residential or commercial uses. Balfour Beatty’s proposal targets completion by mid-2028.
Meridiam Infrastructure North America, known for developing the PortMiami Tunnel and affiliated with Paris-based Meridiam, filed an unsolicited proposal earlier this year before the city opened up the process to competing bids as required by state law. Meridiam’s application includes three Zyscovich-designed options: the largest is a 12-story, 340,000-square-foot building featuring services such as child care, wellness center, and gallery on up to three podium stories; a baseline seven-story option totaling 200,000 square feet with limited shared spaces; and a middle-ground plan for a 10-story building spanning 275,000 square feet with smaller commission chambers and common areas than the largest version. Estimated project capital expenditures range from $172 million to $292 million. Meridiam expects completion of commission chambers by late 2028 and full buildout in 2029.
A consortium led by Plenary Group of Melbourne, Australia proposed an oval-shaped ten-story building designed by Palma and PGAL architecture firms. This design would cover 196,000 square feet at an estimated cost of $280 million with completion projected for late 2028.
Gilbane Development Company offered a design from Arquitectonica distinguished by a wave-like awning. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Gilbane’s proposal calls for a hurricane-resistant building standing at 229 feet tall with energy-efficient features and public spaces. Expected completion is set for 2027.
Industry Grade Construction Group did not specify an architect or provide details on height or square footage but said it would use fully private financing requiring no upfront expenditure from the city and aims for completion in 2028.
Cypress West—led by Sheldon Gross of Hillsboro Beach—proposes splitting operations between two campuses: back-office functions would move to North Operations Campus at 1515 West Cypress Creek Road (currently used by Fort Lauderdale Police Department), which is located in an X flood zone considered less prone to flooding risk; meanwhile, about 100,000 square feet of new construction would rise at the main site downtown. “Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all financing approach, our development team will work collaboratively with [the city] to explore various financing structures,” according to Cypress West’s application. Completion is also projected for 2028.
