By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The Historic Preservation Board will convene Thursday, August 14 with a slate of items that tie directly into Coral Gables’s ongoing conversation about how to protect its heritage while allowing for change. Chief among them is a long-awaited update on the Gondola Building, a once-ornate structure tied to the city-owned Biltmore Hotel’s 1920s heyday that has spent more than a decade in limbo.

The small utilitarian Mediterranean Revival building with an embellished cornice on the grounds of the hotel, once housed a tram that ferried hotel guests up the ridge. Decades of neglect left it vulnerable, and in November 2021, part of its façade collapsed. That failure spurred a flurry of debate—about the city’s ability to safeguard aging landmarks, the cost of restoration versus relocation, and whether certain structures can be saved at all.

This week, the board will hear a formal presentation on its relocation. The agenda lists it under “City Projects Update,” but preservation advocates will be watching closely for signs of a definitive plan. In previous meetings, relocation proposals have stalled over cost estimates, engineering challenges, and disagreements about whether moving the building would compromise its historical integrity.

The Gondola Building—omitted from the Biltmore’s National Historic Landmark nomination—returns to the agenda as the city wrestles with how far, and at what cost, it will go to safeguard its architectural heritage.

Alhambra Circle home considered for historic designation

Also on the agenda is the proposed local historic designation of 1005 South Alhambra Circle. The property sits in the Coral Gables Riviera Section Part Twelve and is described in city records as occupying three combined lots. The designation process, which includes review by city staff and the Board before a final City Commission vote, would add the home to the city’s list of protected landmarks.

Such a move carries implications beyond symbolism. Local designation would mean the property could not be altered or demolished without approval, and owners could access certain tax incentives for rehabilitation. The case file includes reports from preservation consultant David McKinney, Ph.D., and letters from local historians, underscoring the property’s architectural and cultural value.

For residents, the decision is part of a continuing pattern: in recent years, Coral Gables has moved to recognize more homes and districts from the 1920s and 1930s boom years, even as some property owners push back against additional restrictions.

After-the-fact request in French Normandy Village

The board will also consider a request for a Special Certificate of Appropriateness for 405 Viscaya Avenue, a contributing property within the French Normandy Village Historic District. The application seeks after-the-fact approval for the installation of impact-resistant windows and doors.

French Normandy Village, one of the city’s thematic enclaves, was designed to evoke rural France and has some of Coral Gables’s most distinctive façades. The case will test the Board’s stance on retroactive approvals—whether modifications made without prior consent can be reconciled with preservation standards or must be corrected.

Historic character vs. economic pressures

Although each agenda item is distinct, together they touch on a central question: how to maintain Coral Gables’s historic character in the face of economic pressures, homeowner preferences, and the realities of aging buildings.

The Gondola Building discussion will reveal whether the city is ready to act decisively on a long-deferred problem. The Alhambra Circle designation will measure the Board’s commitment to expanding the protective net around the city’s early residential architecture. The Viscaya Avenue case will show how strictly the Board enforces design guidelines when work proceeds without permission.

How to participate

The meeting begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, August 14, in the City Hall Commission Chambers at 405 Biltmore Way. It will also be accessible via Zoom and telephone, though sworn testimony is only accepted in person. Public comment follows a set procedure: staff presentation, applicant’s remarks, comments from supporters and opponents, Board discussion, and a final vote.

Residents can watch live on Coral Gables TV Channel 77. Those planning to speak should arrive early to sign in and are reminded that decorum rules prohibit applause, outbursts, or signs.