RE.10 - A RESOLUTION OF THE MIAMI CITY COMMISSION DIRECTING THE CITY MANAGER TO CONTINUE TO USE THE CITY OF MIAMI OWNED PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3500 PAN AMERICAN DRIVE, MIAMI, FLORIDA 33133, AS CITY HALL AND AS THE PRINCIPAL LOCATION FOR REGULAR MEETINGS OF THE CITY COMMISSION, CONSISTENT WITH SECTION 2-32 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA, AS AMENDED; PROVIDING FOR TEMPORARY USE OF ALTERNATIVE MEETING LOCATIONS IN LIMITED CIRCUMSTANCES; AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
September 10, 2026
Sponsors
District Two Damian Pardo
Commissioner
Department: Commissioners and Mayor
Category: Elected Official Item
WHEREAS, the City of Miami ("City") currently uses the City-owned property located at 3500 Pan American Drive, Miami, Florida 33133 ("Property"), as City Hall wherein the City’s Commission meetings are held; and
WHEREAS, Section 2-32 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended ("City Code"), designates City Hall, with specific reference to the Property, as the meeting place for the City Commission and provides that the City Commission may designate alternate meeting places and times by resolution in accordance with the requirements set forth therein; and
WHEREAS, the Property, originally constructed in 1934 as the Pan American Airways Seaplane Base and Terminal Building, was designed by noted architects William Adams Delano and Chester Holmes Aldrich of the firm Delano & Aldrich in the Art Deco style; and
WHEREAS, at the time of its construction, the Property was recognized as the largest and most modern marine air terminal in the world, and was the first terminal facility constructed exclusively for commercial passenger seaplane service, serving as a model for similar terminals subsequently built in New York, San Francisco, and Rio de Janeiro; and
WHEREAS, the Property served as the nation’s busiest commercial seaplane terminal and a gateway for international air travel between the United States and Latin America, playing a significant role in the City’s history as a hub connecting the Americas; and
WHEREAS, the Property is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Reference No. 75000548, listed February 20, 1975), in recognition of its architectural and historical significance; and
WHEREAS, the City acquired the Property in 1946 and, following its adaptive reuse, established it as Miami City Hall in 1954, a civic use the Property has continuously served for over seventy years; and
WHEREAS, in 1965, M. Athalie Range was elected to the Miami City Commission, becoming the first African American, and the first African American woman, to serve as a member of the City Commission, and went on to become the first African American to lead a Florida state agency, leaving an enduring legacy of civil rights leadership rooted in her service to the City at the Property; and
WHEREAS, on September 4, 1997, in a referendum overwhelmingly decided by the electorate (85.09% to 14.91%), the residents of the City of Miami voted decisively to preserve the City’s continued existence as an independent municipal government rather than dissolve it into Miami-Dade County, affirming the City’s enduring self-governance; and
WHEREAS, the Property began a significant historic renovation in 2001 under the direction of R.J. Heisenbottle Architects, reflecting the City’s continued investment in and commitment to the preservation of the Property; and
WHEREAS, the continued use of the Property as City Hall honors and preserves its architectural legacy and its role in the City’s history, and ensures that this nationally recognized historic landmark remains an active, publicly accessible civic institution rather than being vacated or repurposed away from public use; and
WHEREAS, maintaining the Mayor’s office and the offices of the City Commission at the Property preserves a consistent, publicly known, and accessible seat of civic leadership, ensuring that residents, businesses, and community stakeholders continue to have a clear and reliable point of access to their elected officials for purposes of civic engagement, constituent services, and public accountability; and
WHEREAS, the Property has served as an early voting location and polling site during municipal, county, and other elections, and its continued use as City Hall preserves a familiar, accessible, and centrally located civic site for residents to exercise their right to vote; and
WHEREAS, the continued use of the Property as City Hall provides a consistent location for the public to access City services and to provide meaningful public input in connection with the City’s legislative decisions; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to preserve the Property’s use as City Hall and finds that directing the continued use of the Property as City Hall is in the best interests of the City and its residents;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The City Manager, or designee, is hereby directed to continue to use the Property as City Hall and as the principal location for the regular meetings of the City Commission, subject to compliance with applicable laws.
Section 3. Nothing in this Resolution shall prohibit the temporary use of an alternative regular meeting location in accordance with Section 2-32 of the City Codewhen reasonably necessary due to an emergency, repairs, renovations, public safety or security concerns, accessibility or capacity requirements, or other operational necessity, provided that all applicable laws, including without limitation, public notice and public access requirements, are satisfied.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
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WHEREAS, Section 2-32 of the Code of the City of Miami, Florida, as amended ("City Code"), designates City Hall, with specific reference to the Property, as the meeting place for the City Commission and provides that the City Commission may designate alternate meeting places and times by resolution in accordance with the requirements set forth therein; and
WHEREAS, the Property, originally constructed in 1934 as the Pan American Airways Seaplane Base and Terminal Building, was designed by noted architects William Adams Delano and Chester Holmes Aldrich of the firm Delano & Aldrich in the Art Deco style; and
WHEREAS, at the time of its construction, the Property was recognized as the largest and most modern marine air terminal in the world, and was the first terminal facility constructed exclusively for commercial passenger seaplane service, serving as a model for similar terminals subsequently built in New York, San Francisco, and Rio de Janeiro; and
WHEREAS, the Property served as the nation’s busiest commercial seaplane terminal and a gateway for international air travel between the United States and Latin America, playing a significant role in the City’s history as a hub connecting the Americas; and
WHEREAS, the Property is individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Reference No. 75000548, listed February 20, 1975), in recognition of its architectural and historical significance; and
WHEREAS, the City acquired the Property in 1946 and, following its adaptive reuse, established it as Miami City Hall in 1954, a civic use the Property has continuously served for over seventy years; and
WHEREAS, in 1965, M. Athalie Range was elected to the Miami City Commission, becoming the first African American, and the first African American woman, to serve as a member of the City Commission, and went on to become the first African American to lead a Florida state agency, leaving an enduring legacy of civil rights leadership rooted in her service to the City at the Property; and
WHEREAS, on September 4, 1997, in a referendum overwhelmingly decided by the electorate (85.09% to 14.91%), the residents of the City of Miami voted decisively to preserve the City’s continued existence as an independent municipal government rather than dissolve it into Miami-Dade County, affirming the City’s enduring self-governance; and
WHEREAS, the Property began a significant historic renovation in 2001 under the direction of R.J. Heisenbottle Architects, reflecting the City’s continued investment in and commitment to the preservation of the Property; and
WHEREAS, the continued use of the Property as City Hall honors and preserves its architectural legacy and its role in the City’s history, and ensures that this nationally recognized historic landmark remains an active, publicly accessible civic institution rather than being vacated or repurposed away from public use; and
WHEREAS, maintaining the Mayor’s office and the offices of the City Commission at the Property preserves a consistent, publicly known, and accessible seat of civic leadership, ensuring that residents, businesses, and community stakeholders continue to have a clear and reliable point of access to their elected officials for purposes of civic engagement, constituent services, and public accountability; and
WHEREAS, the Property has served as an early voting location and polling site during municipal, county, and other elections, and its continued use as City Hall preserves a familiar, accessible, and centrally located civic site for residents to exercise their right to vote; and
WHEREAS, the continued use of the Property as City Hall provides a consistent location for the public to access City services and to provide meaningful public input in connection with the City’s legislative decisions; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission desires to preserve the Property’s use as City Hall and finds that directing the continued use of the Property as City Hall is in the best interests of the City and its residents;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The recitals and findings contained in the Preamble to this Resolution are adopted by reference and incorporated as if fully set forth in this Section.
Section 2. The City Manager, or designee, is hereby directed to continue to use the Property as City Hall and as the principal location for the regular meetings of the City Commission, subject to compliance with applicable laws.
Section 3. Nothing in this Resolution shall prohibit the temporary use of an alternative regular meeting location in accordance with Section 2-32 of the City Codewhen reasonably necessary due to an emergency, repairs, renovations, public safety or security concerns, accessibility or capacity requirements, or other operational necessity, provided that all applicable laws, including without limitation, public notice and public access requirements, are satisfied.
Section 4. This Resolution shall become effective immediately upon its adoption.
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- [Legislative Files](https://miamifl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?ID=19643#)
- [Legal Notices](https://miamifl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?ID=19643#)
- [Some other Sort of Thing](https://miamifl.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?ID=19643#)
Fiscal Impact
N/A