When will the I-395 bridge, Grove Playhouse and Arsht garage be done? What we know

From a century-old City Hall closing for repairs to a downtown bridge project well behind schedule, several major South Florida development projects are hitting key milestones this year.

Here’s a rundown of recent Miami Herald stories tracking their progress and setbacks:

• Coral Gables City Hall restoration: After 98 years, the iconic 1928 building has been vacated for a comprehensive restoration expected to take up to three years and cost as much as $30 million, with plans to reverse decades of alterations and return the building to architect Phineas Paist’s original design.
• I-395 downtown bridge delays: The completion date for the Miami highway reconstruction has been pushed back to late 2029 — eight years behind schedule — with costs climbing from $802 million to $866 million. Lawsuits alleging there were design errors in the signature bridge arches caused 18 months of delay.
• Ludlam Trail stalled: Miami-Dade County has spent $42 million since approving the six-mile rail-to-trail conversion in 2015, but there is still no designer under contract and no construction underway, prompting advocates to demand answers about why the parks department has failed to move the project forward.
• Arsht Center parking garage: Twenty years after opening without dedicated parking, the performing arts center has submitted plans for a $61 million, 750-space garage with two rehearsal studios on a county-owned lot, to be financed with $16 million from the Arsht trust and private bonds rather than direct public money.
• Coconut Grove Playhouse rebuild: Miami city commissioners recently voted 5-0 to approve a $40 million plan to rebuild the historic theater with a new 300-seat auditorium and restored 1927 Mediterranean front building, ending 13 years of legal and political battles — though opponents are considering another appeal.

This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists.