Fort Lauderdale Sticks with $200M New City Hall Plan

City Commission rejects proposals to buy existing office towers as City Hall

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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After considering purchasing existing office towers to serve as the new City Hall, the Fort Lauderdale City Commission has decided to move forward with the original $200 million plan to build a new City Hall. The commission rejected proposals to buy the Tower 101 and 1 East Broward buildings, citing concerns over the costs of retrofitting the spaces and a desire to stick with their previous commitment to build a new facility.

Why it matters

Fort Lauderdale lost its previous City Hall in 2023 due to flood damage, and the decision on a new City Hall location and funding has been a contentious issue for the city. The debate over purchasing an existing building versus building new highlights the tradeoffs between cost savings and maintaining the city's long-term vision for a new civic center.

The details

In May 2025, the city received an unsolicited proposal from a developer to design, build, and maintain a new $200 million City Hall. The city then solicited competing proposals, but in July 2026 the owner of the Tower 101 building offered to sell it to the city for $86 million as an alternative. Another downtown office tower, 1 East Broward, also offered to sell to the city for $122.5 million. However, after much debate, the commission ultimately decided to move forward with the original plan to build a new City Hall, citing concerns over the costs of retrofitting existing buildings and a desire to stick with their previous commitment.

  • In April 2023, Fort Lauderdale's previous City Hall was permanently closed and later demolished after being damaged beyond repair by a historic rainstorm.
  • In May 2025, the city received an unsolicited proposal from a developer for the design, build and maintenance of a new $200 million City Hall.
  • Between June 6 and August 5, 2025, the city accepted competing proposals for the new City Hall project.
  • In July 2026, the owner of the Tower 101 building offered to sell it to the city for $86 million as an alternative to building a new City Hall.
  • On Monday, February 3, 2026, the owners of 1 East Broward offered to sell their building to the city for $122.5 million.

The players

Pamela Beasley-Pittman

A Fort Lauderdale city commissioner who initially expressed interest in exploring the purchase of the Tower 101 building as an alternative to building a new City Hall.

Ben Sorensen

A Fort Lauderdale city commissioner who broached the topic of buying the Tower 101 office tower as an alternative to building a new City Hall.

John Herbst

The Fort Lauderdale vice mayor who argued the city should analyze the possibility of purchasing the Tower 101 and 1 East Broward office towers as a cost-saving measure.

Dean Trantalis

The mayor of Fort Lauderdale who rejected the idea of purchasing an existing office tower, stating the city had already made a commitment to build a new City Hall.

Steve Glassman

A Fort Lauderdale city commissioner who disagreed with the idea of purchasing an existing office tower, arguing the cost savings would likely be minimal after retrofitting the space.

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What they’re saying

“Honestly, where does this end? Every building on the block is going to come to us now and say, 'Buy me, buy me.' I thought we made a commitment. I thought we had a vision. I thought we were looking to the future. Has that changed?”

— Dean Trantalis, Mayor (Sun Sentinel)

“This is a huge financial decision that the city is going to be burdened with for the next 30 years. This is a buying opportunity that is once in a lifetime. We will never get property this cheap ever again. It would be derelict for us not to consider this.”

— John Herbst, Vice Mayor (Sun Sentinel)

“I just think this is a rabbit hole we're going down right now. We made a commitment.”

— Steve Glassman, City Commissioner (Sun Sentinel)

What’s next

The city is expected to approve a deal with the top-ranked development team to build the new $200 million City Hall in the coming weeks after finalizing negotiations.

The takeaway

Fort Lauderdale's decision to stick with the original plan to build a new $200 million City Hall, rather than pursue purchasing an existing office tower, demonstrates the city's commitment to its long-term vision for a new civic center, even if it means forgoing potential short-term cost savings. The debate highlights the tradeoffs municipal leaders must weigh when making major infrastructure decisions.