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Council workshop directs staff to pursue commercial-first vision for Old City Hall site, limits residential density
Summary
At a Homestead City workshop, council members and consultants favored a destination-focused redevelopment of the Old City Hall site emphasizing hotels, entertainment and retail with minimal residential density; the group gave staff direction to prioritize commercial concepts and return with refined plans and market analysis.
Homestead City council members at a workshop directed staff to pursue a commercial-first redevelopment strategy for the Old City Hall site and to minimize residential density, while preserving options for a hotel, convention space and certain civic anchors including a proposed VA clinic.
The direction emerged after more than an hour of discussion among elected officials, planning consultants and city staff about desired amenities, connectivity to downtown Chrome Avenue, and financing options such as land leases and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) mechanisms.
Speaker 1 (not specified) said, "There is every reason to have a higher bar in terms of what those amenities look like," urging stronger design guidelines for the property. Council members and consultants repeatedly emphasized a legacy, destination project that would include hospitality and entertainment uses rather than dense residential towers.
Speaker 4 (not specified) summarized financial context and expectations, noting, "Round numbers, it's been appraised at $1,000,000 an acre," and adding that the city could consider tradeoffs between price and unit counts. He also said the agenda sought direction and later told the group, "we have a clear cut direction to explore commercial aspect with minimal density in terms of residential."
Council members discussed specific amenity ideas that should be included in a package for developers: a hotel with conference space (Council members mentioned the potential for a venue able to host several hundred guests), a convention or event component, family attractions (ice skating, miniature golf, arcades), outdoor dining and plazas with interactive water features, and improved pedestrian or shuttle connections to downtown.
Speaker 5 (not specified) voiced a common theme in the discussion: "I don't think we need residential," while other council members said limited residential could be acceptable only if it met design and ownership expectations (for example, owner-occupied condos rather than converting to long-term rentals).
Officials also discussed the VA clinic: several speakers urged retaining the proposed VA clinic location on the site as an anchor that would draw visitors and provide a stable tenant. Conversations named ongoing outreach to the Department of Veterans Affairs and congressional staff; participants described continuing political and funding steps rather than a guaranteed commitment.
Planning staff and consultants cautioned that hotel and retail operators will ask what guests can walk to, and that market feasibility depends on proximate amenities and transportation connections. Kevin (market consultant) and other consultants recommended strengthening the Chrome Avenue connection and considering a phased approach with more commercial square footage in early phases to improve project viability.
Participants raised finance and tax implications: several council members noted that if the property is leased long-term and located in a CRA, property tax increments may flow to the CRA rather than the general fund. The council asked staff to analyze lease versus sale scenarios and to model how proceeds might be used for city services and infrastructure.
No formal ordinance or rezoning vote occurred at the workshop; the meeting was a policy discussion and the council provided direction for next steps. Staff was asked to: refine a program that prioritizes commercial uses with limited residential, conduct additional market outreach to hotel operators, evaluate transportation/connectivity options (including a shuttle loop), clarify CRA and "Live Local" exposure, and return to the council at a subsequent workshop with updated feasibility analysis and draft design guidelines.
The workshop closed with council members agreeing to digest the discussion and reconvene for follow-up workshops; staff indicated they would return with options and additional contacts with prospective hotel and convention operators.
