Will Fort Lauderdale’s new City Hall turn heads? 6 firms pitch 6 visions

Six developers are in the running to build a new Fort Lauderdale City Hall.

The community lost its gray bunker of a City Hall when a record-breaking rainstorm hit in April 2023 and flooded the basement.

The 1960s-era building, damaged beyond repair, has been demolished. A fence surrounds the spot at 100 N. Andrews Ave. where the eight-story building stood for nearly six decades.

Fort Lauderdale is still in the process of defining the requirements and scope for the new City Hall, but is seeking to hire an outside firm to design, finance and construct the new City Hall. A decision is expected before the end of the year.

Meridiam Infrastructure North America — the same company that built the Port of Miami tunnel — submitted an unsolicited proposal in May to take on the job. As required by state law, Fort Lauderdale gave competing firms until early August to come forward with their own proposals.

Five more proposals were submitted by the Aug. 5 deadline, leaving the commission with six to choose from.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a look at each one.

PROPOSAL ONE

Balfour Beatty City Hall Proposal

“As an international company listed on the London Stock Exchange, Balfour Beatty offers a strong balance sheet with more than $1.3 billion in daily net cash and our team has successfully delivered over 130 similar P3 projects,” the 76-page proposal says.

The proposal offers three options: Solely developing the parcel for City Hall; developing the parcel into a multi-tenant facility including City Hall, office space and retail space; and developing the parcel and adjacent parcels, including the structured parking between First and Second Streets, into a city center hub.

The developer says it could partner with Fort Lauderdale to get a new City Hall built by mid-2028.

The exterior surfaces would be treated with reflective materials glass, polished metals or wave-textured panels that catch and refract light like sunlight on water, creating a vibrant, ever-changing façade throughout the day, the proposal states.

“Inspired by the fluid beauty and rhythmic power of ocean waves, our concept for the new Fort Lauderdale City Hall captures the essence of the city’s coastal identity,” the proposal promises. “Just as waves shape the shoreline over time, the architecture is sculpted with sweeping curves and flowing forms that evoke movement, resilience and natural harmony.”

PROPOSAL TWO

Cypress West City Hall Proposal

Sheldon Gross, managing partner of Cypress West, is the leaseholder of the Kaplan building at 1515 W. Cypress Creek Road. The Fort Lauderdale Police Department moved its operations to the Kaplan building two years ago soon after construction began on the city’s new police headquarters building.

Gross submitted a 25-page proposal suggesting the city embrace what he calls a “dual-campus” approach.

“Our offering involves delivering two different facility components: (A) an existing North Operations Campus located at 1515 West Cypress (currently the temporary home of the Fort Lauderdale Police Headquarters), which will house the city’s back office operations in a Class A office building, located in an “X” rated flood zone, and designed to operate 24/7/365; and (B) a new and generational Downtown City Hall located at 100 N. Andrews, which will be home to all public-facing team members and also public-facing meeting venues such as the commission chambers.”

The North Operations Campus is currently serving as the temporary home for the Fort Lauderdale Police Headquarters, Gross notes. He suggests the city continue leasing or do a lease-purchase or outright purchase of the existing office complex at 1515 W. Cypress Creek Road.

PROPOSAL THREE

Fort Lauderdale Civic Partners City Hall Proposal

The Meridiam development team has a track record that includes the $1.1 billion Port of Miami Tunnel, delivered ahead of schedule and $90 million under budget in 2014, according to the 175-page proposal.

“In New York City, Meridiam led the redevelopment of LaGuardia Airport Terminal B, a $3.9 billion project delivered on time and on budget while maintaining full airport operations and named 2023 World’s Best New Airport Terminal,” the proposal says. “We are offering Fort Lauderdale an unprecedented opportunity to bring city services back to one efficient and consolidated location by 2028.”

Phasing construction would allow for delivery of the commission chambers by November 2028, with a final delivery of the tower by February 2029.

The team is proposing three design options.

Option 1: A 12-story office tower (340,000 square feet) with room for growth; two- to three-story podium offering community-facing city services in addition to a wellness center, child care center, public gallery and mobility services; 40,000 square feet of flexible space.

Option 2: A 10-story office tower (275,000 square feet); two- to three-story podium with common and amenity spaces; and chambers meeting areas.

Option 3: A seven-story office tower (200,000 square feet); two-story podium with common and amenity spaces; administrative functions housed in a lower tower; limited shared spaces and public-facing functions, with more affordable surfacing.

PROPOSAL FOUR

FTL Beacon Collaborative City Hall Proposal

“Arquitectonica’s Miami-based studio will shape the city’s new City Hall into a civic landmark, leveraging a 48-year portfolio of bold, human-centered architecture that has earned international acclaim and an award-winning South Florida pedigree,” the 164-page proposal says. “Their design approach pairs sculptural form with proven hurricane hardening, food-mitigation, and sustainability strategies perfected on numerous local government projects, driving down operating costs while safeguarding public services.”

Partnering with FTL Beacon Collaborative will provide the city with a signature design, climate-resilient City Hall that elevates civic pride and forward-looking governance for residents and visitors alike, the proposal states. The proposed design will also deliver functional and efficient workplaces tailored to meet the needs of administration, department leaders and staff.

The building’s public spaces — designed for art exhibits, civic gatherings and small-business pop-ups — will ensure the facility remains a living hub of community life and opportunity.

The proposal calls for raising the ground floor elevation beyond code minimums, using hurricane-resistant materials and installing power generation systems to keep critical functions operational.

The building would be designed to withstand Category 4 or 5 hurricane winds, depending on the location.

It would also feature impact-resistant systems designed to resist windborne debris, with backup power and communications to shelter staff and function without external utilities during emergencies.

PROPOSAL FIVE

FTL City Hall Partners City Hall Proposal

The development team recommends a 10-story City Hall that would be architecturally iconic and unmistakably Fort Lauderdale. The cost to design and build: $260 million. The opening date: The end of 2028.

“Our team lives and works in Fort Lauderdale and we have a genuine love for this city and its people,” the 92-page proposal states. “We know that the future Fort Lauderdale City Hall needs to serve our entire community — first and foremost the civil servants that work in the building, but the building also needs to be a place that everyone from Fort Lauderdale is proud of,” the proposal says. “A building where the needs of the city and its people are served for decades to come. That is why this offering not only represents the best subject matter and discipline experts at every level of our team, but also the voices of Fort Lauderdale.”

The new 196,000-square-foot City Hall would integrate structured parking, a shaded civic plaza space and opportunities for local retail or public use. The building would sit between a four-story screened garage on one side and a public plaza on the other.

The proposal speaks of an inspired design: “Patterns derived from the wind and water washed sands of the shore. Benches made of coral stone concrete and oak. Plants and trees native to the state’s unique climate.”

The site design aims to create an outdoor environment that is as comfortable and functional as the building it supports, the proposal says, with green areas and plazas as well as spaces for programmed gatherings and peaceful assembly.

“The site rises to elevate the building above the surrounding streetscape in a design gesture that is as functional as it is symbolic, lifting the voice and will of the people above all else and securing the building against threats from criminal actors as well as those brought on by global warming.”

PROPOSAL SIX

Industry 1 Development Committee

The development team proposes a quick construction timeline that would begin in May 2026 and end in March 2028.

“This proposal introduces a Co-Development Agreement structure designed to accelerate delivery and usher in a new era of civic infrastructure — a City Hall for the times, and for the incoming times of Fort Lauderdale,” states the 56-page proposal.

“This is not just about constructing a building,” the proposal says. “It is about creating a civic landmark that speaks to identity, equity, and belonging. We are not just the developers or the builders — we are the neighbors, stakeholders, and stewards. Our proposal offers not only execution certainty, but cultural credibility and moral clarity. The people leading this effort reflect the very city they seek to serve. This is not an asset alone — it is a landmark for a generation.”

The team’s capital strategy calls for 100% private financing with no upfront city expenditures. “No payment obligations commence until completion and city occupancy,” the proposal says.

The building’s design would incorporate flood mitigation, hardened building systems, and sustainable infrastructure to withstand climate impacts and reduce long-term public risk.

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