Coral Gables city commissioners voted on October 27, 2026, to direct staff to negotiate with West Construction for the Coral Gables Art Cinema expansion, bypassing staff-recommended low bidder Hycon Investments, WLRN reported.

Who will build the Coral Gables Art Cinema expansion?

Coral Gables commissioners directed city staff on October 27, 2026, to open contract negotiations with West Construction, rather than Hycon Investments, the low bidder that city staff had recommended. WLRN reported that the project carries a price tag of $1.24 million, and that the commission's choice departs from the staff recommendation.

  • West Construction is now the firm city staff will negotiate with.
  • Hycon Investments was the staff-recommended low bidder.
  • The decision came at the commission's October 27 meeting.

Why did commissioners choose West Construction over the low bidder?

Mayor Vince Lago pushed the commission toward West Construction, citing the firm's earlier work on Coral Gables Fire Station 4, according to WLRN. The decision shows commissioners weighing a contractor's track record on a prior city project against the staff recommendation to award the work to the lowest bidder.

  • Lago pointed to West Construction's earlier Fire Station 4 project.
  • Staff had recommended Hycon Investments based on its low bid.
  • Commissioners sided with the mayor's preference for West Construction.

What will the Art Cinema expansion add?

The expansion will add a second screen, an auditorium of roughly 90 seats and a café to the Coral Gables Art Cinema, WLRN reported. The $1.24 million project would enlarge the arthouse venue's programming capacity, giving the cinema room to run more than one film at a time and to offer food and drink on site.

  • A second screen alongside the existing theater.
  • An auditorium of roughly 90 seats, per WLRN.
  • A café, per WLRN's description of the project.

What happens next for the project?

City staff must now negotiate terms with West Construction, following the commission's direction on October 27, 2026. WLRN's reporting establishes that negotiations are the next step, and that no contract has been finalized; any agreement would come after staff and the firm settle scope, price and schedule.

  • Staff will negotiate with West Construction on contract terms.
  • The $1.24 million figure, as reported by WLRN, describes the project's cost.
  • A final agreement has not been announced.

The original reporting on the commission's decision was published by WLRN.