Sunny Isles Beach commission deadlocks on Waypoint contract for annex buildout; library, cost questions linger

At a special meeting April 3, 2025, the City of Sunny Isles Beach Commission deadlocked 2-2 on awarding Invitation to Bid No. 250101 to Waypoint Contracting to build out the city annex in the former Tony Roma’s space, leaving the contract without approval and eligible to return to the commission on April 17.

The vote came after staff described a near-doubling of the project estimate and a recommendation to proceed with Waypoint as the lowest responsible bidder. The city manager told the commission the original estimate compiled during last year’s budget cycle was roughly $2,000,000 and that a subsequent budget amendment approved last month increased the authorized construction amount to $3,700,000 with a small contingency. “You asked me, you tasked me with making the build building department more efficient and effective,” the city manager said in opening remarks, explaining why staff sought to move forward quickly.

Why it matters: the project ties together three financial and operational strands for the city. Staff said the city has already expended roughly $200,000 on planning and design and that delaying the build…