Fort Lauderdale is moving forward with plans to build a new city hall, two years after its previous government center was severely damaged by flooding during a historic rainstorm. Six groups have submitted proposals to develop the new facility at 100 North Andrews Avenue, some offering multiple design options.
The original city hall, an eight-story concrete building completed in 1969, was demolished in November following extensive flood damage from record rainfall in 2023. Since then, municipal staff have been working out of leased offices.
In May, Meridiam Infrastructure North America—known for projects such as the PortMiami Tunnel and affiliated with Paris-based investment manager Meridiam—submitted an unsolicited proposal to partner with Fort Lauderdale on the new city hall. State law required the city to open up the process for competing proposals from other developers by August 5.
Balfour Beatty, based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and recognized as a global infrastructure firm, submitted three options designed by Kobi Karp and DLR Group. The first is a 250,000-square-foot building that includes a library and commercial space. The second adds additional floors for retail or office tenants beyond city use. The third envisions a campus combining one of the previous options with another building for residential or commercial purposes. No cost estimates were provided; completion is targeted for mid-2028.
Meridiam’s proposal offers three alternatives designed by Zyscovich. The largest option is a 12-story building covering 340,000 square feet with up to three stories dedicated to services such as child care and wellness facilities. A baseline version would be seven stories tall at 200,000 square feet with limited shared spaces on two podium levels. The intermediate option proposes ten stories totaling 275,000 square feet and slightly reduced commission chambers compared to the largest plan. Estimated project costs range from $172 million to $292 million; completion of commission chambers is projected for late 2028 with full buildout expected in 2029.
A consortium led by Plenary Group of Melbourne proposes an oval-shaped ten-story structure spanning 196,000 square feet and designed by Palma and PGAL architecture firms. Their estimated cost is $280 million with completion anticipated in late 2028.
Gilbane Development Company put forth a design from Arquitectonica featuring a wave-like awning as its signature element. Based in Providence, Rhode Island, Gilbane’s plan calls for hurricane-resistant windows and energy efficiency measures in a building rising to 229 feet tall. Completion could occur as soon as 2027.
Industry Grade Construction Group’s submission does not specify an architect or dimensions but outlines private financing requiring no upfront expenditure from the city; it targets completion in 2028.
Cypress West—an entity led by Sheldon Gross of Hillsboro Beach—suggests splitting operations between two campuses: back-office functions would move to an existing facility at 1515 West Cypress Creek Road (currently used by police) located outside major flood risk zones (FEMA flood zone information), while a new approximately 100,000-square-foot building would rise at North Andrews Avenue after further collaboration on final design details with the city. According to their application: “Rather than offering a one-size-fits-all financing approach, our development team will work collaboratively with [the city] to explore various financing structures.” This plan also aims for completion in 2028.
