Pembroke Pines to break ground on $60M civic center

Pembroke Pines is set to break ground on its new $60 million civic center next week.

City officials will gather Monday to kick off construction of the complex, which will be the centerpiece of an 80-acre mixed-use development.

Civic Center will include include a 3,500-seat performance and conference hall, a stand-alone commission chamber and a new city hall. On the north end, the complex will house a 11,000-square-foot art gallery named after the city’s Mayor Frank Ortis.

Plans for the overall project consist of more than 1,100 rental apartments, a 350-room hotel, 265,000 square feet of commercial space and 120,000 square feet of office space. The Broward development is slated for completion in October 2016.

It is bounded by Pines Boulevard to the north, Palm Avenue to the east, and Washington Street to the south.

The project’s rental apartments are being built as two separate developments.

The first, Modera Pembroke Pines, has 700 units on 27 acres. It is being developed in two phases by the Mill Creek Residential Trust, and its first phase is currently leasing units.

The second development is a 365-unit complex on 11 acres by Related Pembroke Pines. It broke ground in 2014, according to the city’s website.

Plans for the development had been proposed roughly 10 years ago, but were halted because of the recession, the Sun Sentinel reported in 2013.

“We are overjoyed that we can start building the future of Pembroke Pines,” said Mayor Frank Ortis in a statement. “This is a great city to live and work in. The Civic Center will not only provide city services to our residents, but will also introduce exciting cultural and entertainment opportunities to the community-at-large.” — Sean Stewart-Muniz

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