Urban Land Institute outlines phased vision, financing options for Hallandale Beach civic center

The Urban Land Institute presented the results of a technical assistance panel to the Hallandale Beach City Commission on Dec. 17, summarizing a conceptual vision for redeveloping the municipal campus and an adjacent post office parcel.

ULI panelist Steve Warnek said the two‑day panel focused on vision, urban design, economic activation and feasibility. The team recommended treating the campus as a civic destination that supports both city operations and public activation, and emphasized phasing so essential services remain on‑site during construction. "We were looking at questions that were posed by the city for us to consider on vision and urban design," Warnek said.

Panelist Juan Mullerat presented a schematic that links the city hall, cultural center and police station with a diagonal circulation spine and an open plaza facing U.S. 1. The concept shows a multi‑level civic center, an event amenity building and, to the south, a mixed‑use phase intended to generate revenue. "There’s a large parking garage, with potentially 1,000 cars, with a plaza, open space to the front facing US 1," Mullerat said.

Rafael Paz, who spoke on feasibility, warned that the public costs for a new city hall and police station are substantial and recommended a deliberate financing plan that may combine tax‑exempt debt, a publicly controlled parking garage, and tax‑increment tools. Paz suggested the city consider extending the community redevelopment area (CRA) or establishing a city‑only tax increment district when the CRA expires in "2 or 3 years" to capture revenues needed for public infrastructure.

Panelists urged the city to hire a financial advisor and structure solicitations to encourage phasing and protect public operations. Dr. Lopez recommended revisiting the city’s public‑private partnership ordinance and using a two‑step procurement or an invitation to negotiate to protect public benefits while exploring developer proposals.

Commissioners pressed the panel on including the post office site (a Phase 2 parcel) in the concept. ULI said the city does not currently control the post office property rights and recommended working with federal partners and the city’s lobbyist if the commission wants to pursue acquisition or redevelopment of that parcel.

Mayor Joy Cooper thanked the team for the "energy and synergy" the study produced and said city staff would follow up on the TAP recommendations and next steps. The panel asked the city to balance revenue‑generating uses with public facilities and to evaluate parking, phasing, affordable housing and procurement approaches as the project moves forward.

What comes next: staff and commission members indicated they will review the TAP report, consider procurement and financing options and discuss specific next steps with consultants and the ULI team.