The Times

12 * * TIMES/GUIDE Weekend of February 5/6, 1977

Gables Commission seeks study for Biltmore

By ANA MARIA ALVAREZ Staff Writer The best use for the Biltmore Tower building will have to be determined before the City of Coral Gables takes any further steps to renovate the historic structure. At a special commission hearing Thursday afternoon on the Biltmore, the commissioners approved a motion to solicit proposals from marketing firms for the highest and best use study of the Biltmore Tower. The original intention of the commission Thursday was to vote on an emergency ordinance that would put the question of the Biltmore on April's ballot. Commissioner Bob Brake offered a motion to put on the ballot the question of renovating the Biltmore Tower. His motion stipulated that the work would be financed by general obligation bonds not to exceed $10 million, but it was defeated. Instead, the city will do a best use study to determine exactly what the Tower should be used for, and then will solicit a cost study from the firm of Ferendino, Grafton, Spillis & Candela to determine how much it would cost to renovate the building. According to Bill Sterling, a representative of the Ferendino firm, the original cost study done by his company was based on the complete historical restoration of the building. The cost was estimated at $1 million. Renovating the building —instead of restoring it— would cost considerably less, said Sterling. John Stadler III made the suggestion for a best use study for the Biltmore. "What happens if you spend millions of dollars renovating the Biltmore as an apartment complex and then no one rents them?" he asked the commission. In the meantime, the commissioners are hoping a proposal by private sources comes through. The firm of Apgar-Markham Construction Co., represented by architect James Deen, told the commission that they are interested in the restoration of the Biltmore. Deen said his group is interested in the renovation of certain portions of the Tower building that the city does not want. He added, however, that they would need six months to prepare a proposal. In October, the city began soliciting proposals from private sources for the redevelopment of the Tower Building for residential, apartment or hotel uses, with commercial uses limited to the mezzanine, lobby and public areas of the hotel building. The offer is still open. In order to be counted, absentee ballots must be received by the City Clerk and Supervisor of Elections by 7 p.m. on Monday, April 12.

Gables residents must register for city elections by Feb. 26

From Page 1 sultant and self-appointed watchdog of the city's finances, as one of the candidates on the ballot. And if no other woman enters the commission race, Melinda Joyner Croft might consider running, although, said Ms. Croft, she feels she can be more effective on the outside. Actually, commission candidates will be vying for two seats, although the candidates running for mayor, who are not incumbent commissioners, will have to be elected both as commissioner and mayor before they can serve. The two candidates receiving the highest number of votes for the office of commissioner will hold office for four years; the candidate receiving the third highest number of votes will hold office for two years. Coral Gables residents who have not registered to vote at the bi-ennial election April 12, can do so until Feb. 26 at 5 p.m. You can register at the office of the Dade County Supervisor of Elections, 1400 Biscayne Blvd., or at the Youth Center, 400 Anastasia Ave., on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Application blanks for absentee ballots may be obtained by mail ir in person from the office of City Clerk, City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way, Coral Gables, from Feb. 26 through April 11.

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