Cutler Bay council approves Option 3 for 16‑acre Legacy Park and municipal complex

The Town of Cutler Bay Town Council voted unanimously Wednesday to approve a revised site plan for the town’s 16‑acre Legacy Park and municipal complex, selecting “Option 3,” council members said. The resolution (agenda item 11a) approves a configuration that keeps the community center pool and pool building as a priority, builds a three‑story town hall with the third floor delivered as shell space, and includes a 6,000‑square‑foot police fit‑out on that third floor rather than a separate standalone police building.

The council’s decision follows months of briefings and public meetings and a detailed staff presentation on project costs and potential funding sources. Town Manager Ralph (last name not provided) told the council the town has an authorized $37 million general obligation bond approved in March 2022 and that roughly $33 million remained unspent; staff also said bond issuance premiums could add about $2 million when the bond is sold. “We have not drawn that down. There has not been any type of…geo bond on residents’ tax bills yet,” Ralph said during the presentation.

Why it matters: the vote gives staff direction to finalize design documents, continue negotiations with the selected contractor and the owner’s representative, and return to council with a guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and the permit-ready construction drawings. The approved option is intended to preserve flexibility for future growth while advancing the community center/pool work already in design.

What the council approved Option 3, as described by Emma Jones, the town’s owner’s representative with Stantec, retains the community center pool and pool building (estimated at $14.3 million) as a constant across all options. The town hall is a three‑story building in the approved scheme (listed in staff materials at about $18.2 million) with the third floor provided as a shell: elevator access, exterior walls, restrooms and HVAC served to the space, but no interior partitions or finishes unless later directed by council. Rather than immediately building a standalone police facility (estimated at about $6.6 million), Option 3 includes a $900,000 fit‑out option to make the third floor usable for police operations now.

Emma Jones said the town has been working with contractor Kaufman Lynn on the pricing and that early contractor involvement is intended to reduce later change orders. “These numbers were not pulled out of the sky,” Jones said, noting the contractor provided the cost estimates used in the options.

Funding and cost context Staff provided a multi‑part funding overview. Key points presented included: - A $37 million general obligation bond was approved by voters in March 2022; staff said about $33 million of that authorization remained unspent and that bond premiums at issuance could add roughly $2 million to available proceeds. - A remediation package (referred to in staff materials as GMP1) is estimated at about $12.8 million. Staff said roughly $6.5 million of that remediation was expected to come from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, with the remainder drawn from bond proceeds or fund balance as needed. - The town’s available fund balance reported in the most recent CAFR was about $26.6 million; staff described internal decisions to allocate portions of that balance toward remediation and other obligations while noting some funds remain unspent. - Projected developer impact fees from approved developments could contribute about $3.6 million to park, police, roads and public building accounts over the next two fiscal years, staff said. - Grants and other external funding discussed included awards or potential awards from the Florida Communities Trust (an $865,000 award for the Coastal Ridge property and potential additional funding up to $1.5 million), a $1.5 million award for Veterans Park, voluntary Brownfield cleanup tax credits the town said total about $526,000 to date (which the town has sold under an existing agreement), and federal/state brownfield cleanup and assessment grants identified as potential sources. Staff also said the town has a pending appeal on a $4 million federal grant application related to remediation and is pursuing contacts with federal elected officials and the Environmental Protection Agency on that appeal.

Financial tradeoffs and council comments Council members discussed the tradeoffs between constructing a standalone police building now versus providing shell space in the municipal building and later fitting out or expanding. Several members, including Mayor Mirabont and Councilwoman Lord, emphasized planning for long‑term growth and minimizing later retrofit costs; others focused on short‑term budget discipline and the possibility of using low‑cost borrowing rather than fully depleting reserves.

Lourdes Alberdeen, the town’s financial adviser, told the council that borrowing for a portion of the project would not necessarily harm the town’s credit rating if the town can demonstrate the ability to meet debt service. “It wouldn’t really have an effect on your bond rating…your bond rating would be affected if you started to put stress on some of your revenues, but at this point, you would be fine,” Alberdeen said.

Formal action and next steps Vice Mayor Mary Callahan moved to accept Option 3 as the site plan approval for agenda item 11a; the motion was seconded (seconder not named on the record), and the council approved the motion by voice vote with no members recorded in opposition. Vote recorded on the record: Mayor Mirabont — yes; Vice Mayor Mary Callahan — yes; Councilwoman Lord — yes; Councilman Bill Duncan — yes; Councilman Ramirez — yes (voice vote; no roll‑call tally beyond the unanimous voice vote was recorded).

Staff said the next steps are to finalize design documents for the chosen configuration, continue side‑by‑side negotiations with Kaufman Lynn to develop a revised GMP, and return to council with permit‑ready plans and the negotiated maximum price. Communications staff will update project signage to reflect the approved plan and the council’s decision.

What was not decided or remains to be resolved The council did not finalize financing sources for every component. Staff outlined several funding options (bond proceeds, use of fund balance, low‑cost tax‑exempt loans, state revolving loans for infrastructure elements, and multiple grant avenues) and presented anticipated grant prospects, but no new grants were awarded at the meeting and staff cautioned grant awards are not guaranteed. The council also did not authorize construction contracts beyond previously authorized remediation work (the previously adopted remediation GMP1 was discussed separately in staff materials). A future council meeting will return with the negotiated GMP and permit documents before any construction contract award beyond the previously approved items.

Council members and staff named during discussion include: Ralph (town manager), Emma Jones (owner’s representative, Stantec), Robert Daddario (finance director), Lourdes Alberdeen (financial adviser), Michael Goldstein (environmental attorney), Charles Mickelson (contractor representative, Kaufman Lynn), Mayor Mirabont, Vice Mayor Mary Callahan, Councilman Bill Duncan, Councilman Ramirez and Councilwoman Lord. Communications manager Rod Gibson was also identified as responsible for public updates.