Talk of the Town: Ban on Phones in School, a Historical Building Is Saved, and More

Cupola Included

The only commercial building besides the Biltmore Hotel which comes close to being a Coral Gables icon is the Alhambra Tower on Alhambra Circle, with its three majestic spires modeled after the Giralda Tower in Seville, Spain. When built, developer Allen Morris sacrificed profit for beauty, spending lavishly to build his ode to Mediterranean-style in the Gables.

At 11 stories, Morris’ latest addition to the skyline – Ponce Park – is substantially shorter than the 16-story height of the Alhambra. It is also a luxury condo, rather than a Class A office building. But designed by the same architect – John Cunningham of Zyscovich Architects – it arrives on Ponce de Leon Boulevard at University Drive with the same Mediterranean panache. With its all-important cupola tower it echoes The Plaza Coral Gables across the street, with its own Loews Hotel Alhambra-styled tower. Together, they now form the “Southern Gateway” to downtown Coral Gables, says Cunningham, who hopes the building will become a “cherished landmark.”

It took Morris nearly four years to win approval for the project, originally envisioned at the same 16-story height as the Alhambra. In deference to neighbors who were worried about too much traffic, Morris redesigned it several times, eliminating retail from the ground level and dropping it down to its final height of 11 stories. Morris also agreed to donate $2 million to improve Ponce Circle Park, which the new building will face. “Our intention is for Ponce Park to celebrate the elegant vision of George Merrick and our commitment for it to be the highest quality residence ever created in Coral Gables,” says Morris. Construction is scheduled to begin Q4 2025, with a late 2027 completion date. – J.P. Faber

No Phone Time for Younger Student

In a House bill led by Republican State Rep. Demi Busatta of Coral Gables, Florida lawmakers approved legislation last month that will expand cell phone restrictions for elementary and middle school students. Currently, students are not permitted to use their phones during instructional time; the new bill will ban younger students from using their cellular devices for the entire school day. House Bill 1105 would still allow high school students to use their phones outside of instructional time, but also proposes a pilot program to test banning phones for the entire school day at high schools in six Florida counties. HB 1105 does not prevent students from carrying their phones at school, only using them.

The bill awaits likely approval from Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. “Data shows that eliminating cell phone distraction, not only in the classroom as Florida has in place now, but throughout the entire school day, produces better outcomes – both from a school climate perspective as well as academic,” said Nathan Hoffman, senior legislative director of Foundation for Florida’s Future, to the Tallahassee Democrat.

Florida paved the way for cell phone bans in schools with its 2023 bill restricting student phone use during class. Similar bills have followed in 10 other states. – Luke Chaney

A Record Round of Scholarships

Every year, the Coral Gables Community Foundation (CGCF) distributes scholarships to local high schoolers. This year, however, the Foundation outdid itself, with a record $3.25 million awarded to graduating Miami-Dade high school students, compared to last year’s $1.42 million. In a ceremony at the University of Miami’s Shalala Center on May 5, the Foundation (which is in the process of selecting a new CEO after the departure of Mary Snow) awarded 202 scholarships ranging from $500 to $20,000. It marked the largest single-year scholarship distribution in the foundation’s 34-year history. Proceeds were gathered through 23 donor-directed funds, as well as a $2.88 million gift from the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation.

“This historic year for the Scholarship Program is a reminder of what’s possible when passionate donors come together to uplift the next generation,” said Michael Walsh, chair of the CGCF Board, in a television interview. “Every dollar awarded reflects someone’s belief in the power of education, and in these students’ potential to lead, give back, and change the world.”

The Community Foundation has awarded 694 scholarships for a total of $6.28 million since its inception in 1991. Some of the scholarships are specifically for students planning to study medicine, law, journalism, historic preservation, and more. This year, the Foundation received over 800 scholarship applications from students throughout the United States. In addition to its scholarship allocation efforts, the CGCF provides grants to local nonprofits. – Luke Chaney

Hall of Famers

It was the inaugural class of the Miami-Dade Arts Hall of Fame: More than 30 honorees were inducted in late April, at the Serv- ing the Arts Awards ceremony held in the Miracle Theatre on Miracle Mile. Among them were several local legends from the Gables’ cultural arts scene, including Actors’ Playhouse founders Dr. Lawrence E. Stein and Barbara Stein, as well as Books & Books founder Mitchell Kaplan and former GableStage Producing Artistic Director Joseph Adler. The Hall of Fame honors individuals “who have made transformative contributions to the advancement of the arts in Miami-Dade County.”

Kaplan also received the Mayor’s Legacy in Arts Award for his contributions to the Miami Book Fair, which is the largest of its kind in the United States. Kaplan co-founded the festival in 1984 and also launched the Books & Books Literary Foundation in 2023, which nurtures new readers through free children’s literary events. The Steins, meanwhile, are well-known for having grown Actors’ Playhouse into one of the state’s leading professional theater companies. Joseph Adler, who died in 2020 after directing GableStage for over two decades, garnered the theater more than 60 Carbonell Awards and received numerous personal accolades, including the George Abbott Award and the Knight Arts Champion Award. – Kylie Wang

A Fine Repurposing

After & Before: Mike Rodriguez at the repurposed Brutalist building.

When the Coral Gables police and fire departments left their old headquarters on Salzedo Street – moving to the new Public Safety Building eight blocks north – preservationists feared that the older building would be torn down by new owner Armando Codina. Not the most attractive of buildings, it was nonetheless a classic example of mid-20th century Brutalist architecture, marked by raw, exposed concrete and minimalist design.

In a savvy exchange, Codina instead traded the building for a nearby parking lot owned by Mercedes-Benz Coral Gables, which he is now using to build Regency Parc. For Mercedes-Benz, the old Brutalist building was not a tear-down, but a perfect building to re-purpose – namely because it contained parking for some 400 vehicles.

“We recognized the building’s unique Tropical Brutalist heritage,” says Mike Rodriguez, general manager for Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables. “Its architectural importance – rare in Coral Gables – was a key factor in choosing to repurpose rather than replace the structure.” The newly refurbished and repainted building will contain the dealership’s showroom and inventory and is on track to be fully operational this summer. – J.P. Faber

Three Cheers for June’s Grandma

Though she was an award-winning television journalist for many years, June Thomson Morris had no previous experience writing plays. But her “Postcards from Paradise,” which debuted on the 100th anniversary of the founding of Coral Gables at the end of April, was more than a fine start. The audience – albeit highly biased in their love of the city – raved about the production at the Miracle Theatre, which sold out for another five days. They also enjoyed a 1920s-style street-feast on opening night, with guests dressed for the era. Proceeds from the ticketed event went toward supporting the theater.

The play itself told the true story of Morris’ grandmother, a plucky 19-year-old who travelled by herself to Coral Gables in pursuit of adventure and romance. Specifically, she had met a young man just once at a hometown dance in Indiana. The two corresponded for six months before she decided to head south to see if this young man’s intentions were honorable.

Part of the seduction by mail came via postcards describing the paradise-to-be of Coral Gables, and the play did an admirable job mixing their love affair with the story of how the city was founded, with actors also playing the roles of city founder George Merrick and Miami Beach founder Carl Fisher. Directed by Actors’ Playhouse artistic director David Arisco, with veteran actors from other productions staged at the Miracle Theatre, “Postcards from Paradise” ended with the hurricane of 1926 sending fair-weather patriots of the Gables back north, while June’s grandmother Lucy Mae Barnes – played with delightful exuberance by Alexandra Van Hasselt – and her new husband decide to stick it out. And the rest, as they say, is history. – J.P.Faber