MIAMI (WSVN) - MIAMI (WSVN) – The City of Miami is planning to move its city hall to a new location, but many residents and several city commissioners want to keep it right where it is.
Miami City Hall, located at the end of 3500 Pan American Drive, has been the civic heart of the City of Miami for the last 70 years.
Several Miami commissioners and former leaders made their voices heard and brought forth a resolution, Thursday morning.
“I’ve filed legislation on today’s agenda to keep this building in active public use and to keep City Hall here and our regularly scheduled meetings,” said District 2 Miami Commissione Damian Pardo.
Change is still ahead, with construction of the new Miami Civic Center at Miami Freedom Park already underway.
“The Freedom Park Project began with a legitimate goal of replacing obsolete administrative facilities. Miami needs modern administrative facilities, our employees deserve them. Our residents deserve an efficient modern government,” Pardo said. “But somewhere along the way, a commission chamber was added to the project, and some functions that are located here were also added to the project, and that raised a very fundamental question that this commission never really addressed: Are we also abandoning our historic City Hall?”
The new facility will be home to several government offices, but keeping Miami City Hall operating and in the hands of leaders is important to many residents.
Miami residents Debbie and John Dolson voiced their support for the older building at Thursday morning’s commission meeting.
“This building has served generations of Miami residents. Forty-six years ago, my father stood in this room and accepted a commendation from the mayor, and it’s hanging on our house, on the wall still. When our son turned 18, he cast his first vote right here on Election Day,” Debbie said.
“This is a very cool place to come have public meetings. It’s unique; anywhere in the United States, I don’t know a better spot,” John said. “Melreese is going to be hell getting to for anybody in Miami. This is a lot easier, and there’s always plenty of parking when we come here.”
Miami City Hall, a building with intense history that means so much to many, is now in the hands of the commissioners.
“Progress does not require erasing our past,” Pardo said.
The new building at Miami’s Freedom Park is set to be complete by the end of next year, into early 2028.
Copyright 2026 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.