By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The Coral Gables City Commission voted 4-1 at its February 24 meeting to award a pre-construction contract for the long-anticipated mobility hub to Kaufman Lynn Construction — without a negotiated price. The cost will be determined through a separate negotiation process that begins now, and city officials made clear they are prepared to walk away if terms are not met.

Commissioner Melissa Castro cast the lone dissenting vote, citing her previously stated opposition to the mobility hub project.

What the contract covers

The award covers pre-construction services under a construction manager at risk structure — a contract model in which the builder is brought in early to collaborate with architects and engineers before construction begins. City Manager Peter Igelais told commissioners the city will be actively involved throughout the construction bidding process that follows.

Mayor Vince Lago argued the pre-construction phase is the project’s most consequential stage. “This is the most important, most critical component of the entire project,” he said. “This is where the money is made, where the money is lost.” He said the model allows the contractor and design team to work simultaneously — catching constructibility problems and value engineering opportunities before they become costly redesigns.

Scoring was close; city has options

Five firms submitted proposals. Kaufman Lynn ranked first with 459.5 points. Suffolk Construction ranked second with 449.5 points. Lamar Corporation ranked third with 444.5 points — a spread of 15 points (3 percent) across the top three out of nearly 460 total.

Mayor Lago had asked Chief Procurement Officer Celeste Walker-Harmon to break down the top three scores for the record, saying he wanted to show “it was not a close call at all.” The numbers she provided told a different story. City Manager Igelais reinforced the point directly, telling the commission he was comfortable with any of the top three proposers — not Kaufman Lynn specifically.

That distinction matters. It establishes that the city enters contract negotiations with two credible alternatives in reserve.

Mayor sets firm negotiating terms

Lago described a private meeting of more than an hour he held with Kaufman Lynn before the commission ratified the contract. He said he told the firm directly: no change orders, no open-ended items, no allowances, and no unclear scope items. He said he demanded what he called the “A team” — warning against a contractor promising top personnel and then assigning secondary staff once another project absorbs them.

“We have three very, very capable, world class contractors,” Lago said. “And if we’re not able to get to a contract negotiation with you, we will move on because we need to move quickly.”

Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson said she had also spoken with the contractor independently, conveying similar concerns about the sensitivity of the construction zone, the cleanliness of the alley, the impact on surrounding businesses, and the tight deadlines required to deliver the facility without prolonged downtown disruption.

A traffic lane is going

Lago issued a public warning about construction impacts, saying he wanted the record to reflect the reality before it caught residents and businesses off guard.

“I don’t want people to be surprised,” he said. “I want to put it on the record before the blogs start going crazy.”

The site is tight, he said, and a lane of traffic will need to be taken during construction. Two crane placement options are under consideration: positioning the crane off-site within a traffic lane, or placing it inside the project core — which would require pouring replacement slabs once the crane is removed. He said the alley as a staging area is not feasible.

Lago said he has asked the contractor to maintain a two-block cleanup perimeter in all directions — morning and night — and to hold daily communication with neighboring businesses including restaurants along the project corridor. He also proposed, subject to the city manager’s approval, that a dedicated police officer be stationed at the construction site throughout the project to manage pedestrian and vehicle traffic around active concrete pours and construction equipment.

Commissioner Ariel Fernandez added his own request: that the contractor minimize traffic impact on the surrounding neighborhood and respect staging area boundaries throughout construction.

Where displaced cars will go

The current parking structure on the Andalusia Avenue mobility hub site will be demolished to make way for the project, displacing the vehicles it currently serves. City Manager Igelais outlined the mitigation plan the city has assembled on Aragon Avenue.

The Davidson site currently holds 98 cars — up from an earlier capacity of 24. Development of the La Salle site is underway and projected to bring the combined total to 129 spaces. The city is also in discussions with private parking operators to supplement those figures. Igelais said the parking director is actively coordinating all phases of the transition.

How closely that capacity matches displaced demand remains an open question. The commission did not address the gap on the record at this meeting.

Castro dissents

Commissioner Castro voted no without elaboration beyond a reference to her standing position. “I think my stance on the mobility hub has been very well explained,” she said. Castro has previously raised concerns about the project’s scope, financing structure, and impact on the surrounding neighborhood. Her opposition to this contract is consistent with that record.

Next steps

Pre-construction services begin immediately. The city and Kaufman Lynn will now negotiate the terms of the construction contract, with the city manager and mayor both signaling they expect those negotiations to move quickly. If an agreement cannot be reached, the city has indicated it will proceed to Suffolk Construction.