Architects outline two‑year restoration plan for Coral Gables City Hall; bond financing and CMAR selected

Coral Gables—RJ Heisenbottle Architects presented a comprehensive restoration plan for Coral Gables City Hall at a Historic Preservation Board meeting, describing work on the garden courtyard, extensive exterior masonry repairs, structural stabilization of four heavily damaged columns and accessibility upgrades.

Richard J. Heisenbottle, president of RJ Heisenbottle Architects, and Ricardo Lopez, principal, told the board the project seeks to return the courtyard to its original garden plan by removing a mid‑century auxiliary building, reinstating four planters and replacing an old septic tank to improve drainage and public use. "We can reinstate the planters as green areas, which will actually help temper some of the bright light," Heisenbottle said.

The architects described a detailed existing‑conditions assessment documenting failures in limestone, cast stone and stucco across the building’s facades and cornices, and outlined repair strategies including limestone patching and selective…