Talk of the Town: July/August 2026
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The Dream for Ponce Circle
DESIGNS ARE FINALLY IN HAND
The idea that Ponce Circle – officially the Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park – should be upgraded into something more elegant has been around for years. From above, the lozenge shaped park, four blocks south of Miracle Mile, looks like a rabbit inside a python, with Ponce de Leon Boulevard wrapping around it. Once the heart of George Merrick’s plan for a Crafts Section in the city, it sits directly in front of the Plaza Coral Gables.
Today the park is an unremarkable patch of flat, green grass, inscribed by a circular walkway. It is frequently activated for public events; in the past year it’s been the setting for the Coral Gables Pumpkin Patch, the Carnaval de Barranquilla, the Festival of Lights Celebration, and the National Championship Watch Party for college football. But it remains an empty field of green.
That may all change if the city can fund a new design by de la Guardia Victoria Architects & Urbanists. Founded by Maria de la Guardia and beloved UM architecture professor Teófilo Victoria (who tragically passed away two years ago), the Gables-based firm has won numerous awards for their designs of low-scale classic buildings, including several Gables townhouse rows and the new Village at Coral Gables. Their design for Ponce Circle embodies perfectly the classic tone of Coral Gables. Maria de la Guardia presented her firm’s designs on May 19 to the City Commission, which voted unanimously to approve them.
The plans call for an Odion on the south end – a semi-circular enclosure where musicians can perform – and for Frank Stella’s “Puffed and Inverted Star II” installed at the other end. The large sculpture by Stella – a towering figure in modern American art – has already been purchased by the city for $1 million from developer fees. The plans also call for covered arcades and rows of trees along both sides of the circle, giving the park a buffer from traffic. According to de la Guardia, architect Phineas Paste and city founder George Merrick wanted walls “to enclose the circle and provide protection from the street.” It was to be the central park of the Craft Section, with exhibition halls on the north and south ends.
De la Guardia believes that each park in the city has its own sense of identity – athletic parks, family parks, neighborhood parks for strolling, etc. “We considered that perhaps Ponce Circle Park would be the cultural park of the City Beautiful,” she says.
The next step will be how to pay the estimated $11.2 million cost for the project. The Plaza Coral Gables has pledged $2.2 million, while the Ponce Park project just south of the circle has pledged $2 million, leaving $7 million left to find.
The New Slate
GABLES’ CANDIDATES HAVE FILED FOR NOVEMBER
Candidates for the coming November city election have officially filed their intentions to run, and the qualifying period is now over.
For Group I, the position of Mayor, there are three candidates: Current Mayor Vince Lago, Jackson “Rip” Holmes, and Laureano Cancio. Lago has been mayor for three consecutive two-year terms (and times out after this). Holmes is a Miracle Mile property owner and perennial city hall gadfly. Cancio is an attorney who lost to Vice Mayor Rhonda Anderson in the 2025 election.
For Group IV, the position of City Commissioner, there are two candidates: Incumbent Commissioner Melissa Castro and Nestor Menendez. Castro, a professional permit expeditor, has been in office since 2023. Menendez is an attorney and first-time candidate.
For Group V, the other City Commissioner position, there are two candidates: Dominique “Nikki” Whiting and Gonzalo Sanabria. Whiting has extensive experience working in executive positions for Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Florida Department of Health, and former Lt. Gov. Jeannette Nuñez (now FIU president). Sanabria is a real estate investor who is on the city’s planning and zoning board.
The last-minute election surprise was the decision by Ariel Fernandez, incumbent City Commissioner for Group V, not to run. Fernandez decided instead to support the Circuit Court Judge candidacy of his wife Monica Segura and to join his former Commission ally in Cubatec, a firm hoping to help reconstruct Cuba when the Communist regime there collapses. Expect more details on the candidates in the coming issue as we approach the November election.
Local Boy Does Good, Part One
MENDOZA GETS A HEAD
Who could forget the stunning performance of Gables native Fernando Mendoza, whose Indiana Hoosiers beat the Miami Hurricanes in January for the 2025 College football championship. Mendoza, whose mother still lives in their Gables home, won the Heisman Trophy and was the No. 1 draft pick of the Las Vegas Raiders. In honor of his football celebrity, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum has unveiled a limited edition bobblehead of a smiling Mendoza standing next to a bobbling version of the iconic Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign. The bobbleheads, individually numbered, cost $45 each.
Local Boy Does Good, Part Two
HENRY MAKES HISTORY
In early June, Broadway history was made with a deep connection to Coral Gables. After four nominations, Miami native powerhouse actor and UM Frost School of Music alumnus Joshua Henry (class of ‘06) took home his first Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. The award was for his critically acclaimed role as Coalhouse Walker Jr. in Lincoln Center Theater’s revival production of Ragtime. As a 2006 UM grad, Joshua is a testament to the Frost School’s groundbreaking curriculum – and how Miami has become an incubator for global entertainment talent.
Virtual Care for a Hamilton
A $10 TELEMEDICAL VISIT TO BAPTIST IN JULY
Can it already be a decade since urgent care became available online? The answer is yes, and Baptist Health is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its Virtual Urgent Care by offering the service in July for $10 per visit from a phone, tablet, or computer. Available 24 hours a day, Baptist Health Virtual Urgent Care connects patients with licensed providers who can diagnose and treat a variety of common conditions, including colds, flu, allergies, sinus infections, rashes and other minor illnesses and injuries. When needed, prescriptions can be sent directly to a patient’s preferred pharmacy; they’ll also tell you if you need to get off the phone and go to the nearest ER. No insurance is needed for their $10 July offer; just download the Baptist Health PineApp.
A Neighborhood Upgrade
UBS SETS A NEW MARK
Swiss financial giant UBS has now settled into 4225 Ponce, the new eight-story Class A office building across from Nordstrom and the Shops at Merrick Park. Part expansion (from 550 Biltmore Way) and part relocation (from downtown Miami), the ten-year lease takes two full floors for some 200 employees. More importantly, the lease – at $100 a square foot – marks a new high for Coral Gables commercial real estate, where Class A space has been leasing for $55 to $65 per square foot.
The UBS move is another indicator of Coral Gables’ growing importance as a center for international wealth management. UBS Florida International is the firm’s largest global office in the Americas, focusing on cross-border high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, particularly from Latin America. Worldwide, UBS manages about $7 trillion (Gables figures are not released by UBS). The recent office dedication was attended by UBS Florida president Catherine Lapadula, Mayor Vince Lago, Gables Chamber CEO Jorge Arrizurieta, and Gables mosaic artist Ray Corral, who was commissioned to create the lobby’s glass-tile mural depicting the world of UBS.
Jaguar Pride
ART FOR THE SAKE OF AWARENESS
You may have noticed two colorfully painted jaguars facing each other across the 100 block of Miracle Mile, one in front of Kettal the other in front of McBride Plaza. On view until July 20, the sculptures are part of Jaguar Parade Miami 2026, designed to increase awareness of the plight of the South American Jaguar. The painted cats have been placed around Greater Miami by Brazilian artists to connect art, biodiversity, and environmental awareness.
“Jaguar Parade is a wonderful opportunity to bring art and conservation together in a way that is colorful, engaging and accessible to everyone,” says Belkys Perez, director of the city’s Economic Development Department. “[And] we are always looking for creative ways to attract visitors to Miracle Mile.” Plus, the project is funded by the Brazilian government and private donors, not the city.
