OPA-LOCKA, Fla. – The building whose Arabian-style minarets and pink domes symbolize Opa-locka could be in a state other than disrepair by the end of the year.
After years of delays in restoring the dilapidated, yet iconic Opa-locka Company Administration Building, Opa-locka commissioners voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a restoration contract for the historic city hall.
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The nearly century-old landmark is located at 777 Sharazad Blvd. and will be repurposed as a “cultural event and community center” once restoration work is finished, according to city officials. The city is targeting a fall completion date.
“The restoration will require new electrical, plumbing, roofing, interior finishing, exterior façade repair, as well as ADA-accessible improvements,” a city news release states.
Built in 1926 at the direction of developer and aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss, the building is considered a hallmark of the city’s collection of Moorish Revival buildings inspired by the story “One Thousand and One Nights.”
It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982, but by the 2010s, as the city dealt with financial and political turbulence, the building fell into disuse and decay.
Those troubles led the city to abort a restoration project that began in 2015, officials said.
According to the city, funding for the $1.45 million project will come largely from grants, with a portion coming from the city’s general fund.
Project presentation: