The Coral Gables Public Safety Building was shared by the Police and Fire Department Headquarters. The five-story structure (with one below-ground level) is in the center of the city. Consisting of bays for fire trucks, administrative offices for both fire and police personnel, and a parking garage for city-owned and public vehicles, the building is notable for its use of sculpted concrete massed in monumental exterior curved walls—a geographical manifestation of Tropical Brutalism. Tropical Brutalism is uncommon in South Florida, although it is evident in various government and educational facilities throughout the area. 

Written by Jane Maranos, Member HPACG

Due to static and structural problems, there were increasing safety concerns that made it difficult to use the building for its intended purpose as a police and fire department. For example, there were concerns about whether the structure could continue to hold the weight of the fire engines in the bays. As a result, the heavy vehicles were initially parked next to the building and construction began in February 2019 on a new building, which the Police and Fire Department officially moved into in 2021. As a result, there were initially plans to demolish the brutalist building. However, the new owner Mercedes-Benz Coral Gables averted this and repurposed the building as a showroom. But we do not know how the brutalist architecture has been preserved. Therefore we leave the status RED (last updated on January 20, 2025).