The owner of The Plaza Coral Gables is now one of three parties paying to rebuild Fred B. Hartnett Ponce Circle Park, the 1920s green space right next to it on Ponce de Leon Boulevard. The redesign is valued at more than $10 million and adds a permanent open-air stage, a Frank Stella sculpture, and raised crosswalks on the streets around the park. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027.
In October, The Plaza picked up an Italian food hall, a gelato shop celebrated its second birthday, and one of the city's best-known employers finished moving into the South Tower. The park and the complex are being built into one district at the south end of Ponce, and this fall is the last season the park will look the way George Merrick's era left it.
October filled in The Plaza
The biggest arrival is Zuccaly, an 8,000-square-foot Italian food hall from Da Silva Hospitality Group, the team behind Zucca. It opened on October 8 at 111 Palermo Ave. Miami New Times reported that it has six culinary stations, an Italian market, and a full bar under one roof. Each station covers a different part of the menu:
- Pasta & Risotto serves bucatini cacio e pepe, tagliatelle with beef ragù, mushroom risotto, and lasagna Bolognese.
- LaBiga makes Roman-style pizza from dough that takes six days to prepare, plus traditional pies and focaccia.
- Grill & Fish cooks meats and seafood over an open flame, including a 15-ounce ribeye.
- Il Giardino handles salads, antipasti, and lighter Italian dishes.
- Dolci & Gelato offers house-made gelato, pastries, and the chocolate-layered Matilda cake.
- A sandwich station covers quick lunches.
The market side works as an Italian pantry and grab-and-go counter, selling prepared dishes, sauces, and specialty ingredients to take home. Opening hours have been listed differently in different places since launch, so check Zuccaly's own site before you plan dinner around it.
Zuccaly opened on the same day San Lorenzo Gelateria turned two. The Plaza's feed marked the anniversary with a free medium gelato for guests. In late September, Sundara Luna opened in Suite 144, between Sweet Paris and MIKA, selling resortwear, accessories, and beauty products. The Plaza lists MIKA as open and taking reservations and Cantina Leon as now open. Camila's Patisserie, known for its Basque cheesecakes, is part of the same afternoon walk. CorePower Yoga is listed as coming soon, without an opening date.
The workday crowd grew as well. Coral Gables Magazine reported that Bacardi has finished moving into its five new floors in the South Tower of The Plaza. The space holds the staff who run the company's global operations, along with its collection of classic Cuban art and memorabilia from its years in Cuba.
That adds up to a lunch crowd, an evening dining crowd, and a weekend shopping crowd, all on one block. Across Ponce, the park the neighborhood shares is still laid out for a quieter century.
Why a private owner is paying into a public park
Ponce Circle Park dates to the early development of Coral Gables under founder George Merrick, and landscape architect William Lyman Phillips designed it. According to Florida YIMBY, it has stayed part of the city's historic layout for about 100 years, and this project is the most extensive redesign since it was created.
Three parties share the cost: Allen Morris Co., the City of Coral Gables, and Agave Holdings, which owns The Plaza. Allen Morris Co. is guaranteeing any cost overruns beyond the committed funding and will act as development manager, overseeing design, permitting, and construction. The City Commission approved the project unanimously. In July, the Coral Gables Gazette reported that the commission had approved the revised funding plan.
Mayor Vince Lago tied the project to the downtown's future in remarks published by Florida YIMBY:
"The transformation of Ponce Circle Park is another step in our commitment to creating exceptional open spaces that strengthen our downtown and enhance the quality of life for generations to come."
For Agave, the reasoning follows from the property. Its tenants include a food hall, several restaurants, fitness studios such as [solidcore] and Rumble, and a public art collection with KAWS' "WAITING," Jean-Michel Othoniel's "Coral Fountains," and Tony Cragg's "Mean Average." All of them benefit when the open space next door is a place people want to spend an evening.
What the redesign actually builds
The plans are led by Maria de la Guardia of de la Guardia Victoria Architects & Urbanists, a Coral Gables firm that specializes in classical architecture, working with Andres Arcila of Naturalficial. Four pieces will change how the park gets used:
- The Odeon. An open-air performance structure at the center of the park, built for concerts, theater, civic events, and fitness classes. When nothing is scheduled, it works as public seating.
- Frank Stella's "Puffed and Inverted Star II." A large polished aluminum sculpture set in a reflecting pool at the north end of the park. The city acquired it on the recommendation of its Cultural Development Board, and it is one of the artist's final large-scale works.
- Planting with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Fairchild is helping shape a planting plan focused on biodiversity, plants suited to the region, and landscape resilience.
- Streets beyond the park. Work continues along Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Almeria Avenue to University Drive, with better pedestrian crossings, raised crosswalks, speed tables, and a new stormwater drainage system.
The Odeon is the biggest change. Today, the park hosts city festivals without a permanent stage of its own. Once the redesign is finished, it will have one, sitting at the edge of a complex whose dining directory already runs from Fogo de Chão and CVI.CHE 105 to Sanguich de Miami and Zuccaly. The street work matters almost as much for anyone crossing from The Plaza with a gelato in hand, because the raised crosswalks and speed tables are meant to slow traffic between the park and the rest of downtown.
The schedule calls for construction to start in January 2027 and finish in the first quarter of 2028. Markets of Tomorrow reported the same timeline. The city has not yet said how much of the park will stay open during the work. Check the City of Coral Gables park projects page for updates as January gets closer.
The fall calendar before construction starts
The park's biggest remaining date this year is the Día de los Muertos celebration on Saturday, October 31, from 4 to 9 p.m. The Consulate of Mexico presents it, with traditional Mexican performances, music, dance, and food. The Coral Gables Trolley runs from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. that day, and Freebee rides are also available. The festival puts dinner at Zuccaly or MIKA and a night at the park within one short walk.
Through the end of the year, most of downtown's public calendar is on Giralda Plaza at 120 Giralda Ave.:
- Friday, November 6: Giralda Live runs from 7 to 11 p.m., with live music from 8 to 10 p.m.
- Saturdays, November 7 and 21: The Giralda Plaza Artisan Market runs from 4 to 10 p.m. with 20-plus vendors, according to Coral Gables Magazine's events listings.
- Saturdays, December 5 and 19: The Artisan Market returns, also from 4 to 10 p.m.
Right now, Giralda gets the recurring evenings, and Ponce Circle gets the occasional festival. The redesign is designed to change that split. A built-in stage with seating that stays put gives the south end of Ponce a venue that doesn't need to be assembled for each event, next to the restaurants that opened this fall. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027, and the Odeon is slated to open in the first quarter of 2028.
Thinking about a lease within walking distance of Ponce Circle before the Odeon opens, or wondering how the redesign could affect a Coral Gables property you own? Miami Rental Queen can walk you through the buildings and blocks around The Plaza, with direct, personal guidance from Leni at every step. Let's Connect.
