Cocoa considering new developments for old City Hall sites; no project selected yet

Tyler Vazquez, Florida Today
·3 min read

At least one developer is eying the location of the former city hall in Cocoa Village in hopes of building a mixed-use development that would include apartments and retail.

The future of the site has been an open question for the city since the current city hall was built in 2008.

Developers will still need to jump through many hoops before being selected by the city, including approval by the Community Redevelopment Agency and the City Council at future meetings that have not yet been scheduled.

By the December 15 deadline, multiple plans were submitted for the developing the property at the south end of the village but only one has emerged publicly so far after developers issued a press release this month.

Cocoa officials have said there is still a lengthy process before any one plan can be chosen, the first of which will take place at a CRA meeting on Jan. 9 and that no project is currently being favored over any other.

A sign at 603 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village promised a hotel last year before that deal fell through. Now the city is moving forward considering other mixed-use developments at the site.
A sign at 603 Brevard Avenue in Cocoa Village promised a hotel last year before that deal fell through. Now the city is moving forward considering other mixed-use developments at the site.

More: Proposal to build Cocoa Village hotel in former City Hall location moves forward

Developers with Gershon Contracting are one group who submitted a proposal for the property.

"We're thrilled to announce our recent submission of a mixed-use development project proposal to the City of Cocoa. Our proposal has been proudly selected for further evaluation, indicating a significant step forward in our vision," Garrett Zhubrak with Gershon Contracting said in an email announcing the project.

Preliminary plans from Gershon Contracting show an eight-story residential building with ground floor retail along with other attached residential units.

That proposal, although not selected as of yet, reflects the larger goals for the property. All projects considered for the site will include a mix of retail, multifamily housing and possibly hotels.

Multiple projects have been submitted as options for the site, according to city spokeswoman Samantha Senger.

There will be a public discussion of the future of the site and what developments could be considered at the CRA meeting to be held Jan. 9, 2024 at 5 p.m. at 65 Stone Street in Cocoa Village.

One potential project being considered for the old Cocoa City Hall location at 603 Brevard Avenue.
One potential project being considered for the old Cocoa City Hall location at 603 Brevard Avenue.

"Nothing has been determined yet and there is still a process to go through," Senger said.

City leaders originally limited proposals for development to a hotel that they hoped would be key to economic growth both in Cocoa Village and the city more broadly. After the plans to build a Radisson at the site fell through, the city widened their request to "include any combination of hotel, residential, civic, office, retail, or commercial components."The former plan was to build a seven-story, 87,000-square-foot hotel with 107 rooms and a rooftop bar at 603 Brevard Avenue. Developers also envisioned retail space on the ground floor with public access that would be separate from the main hotel entrance.

Those plans fell through this past year after the developer failed to meet city deadlines due to financing issues. No future project will be considered without financing in place.

Tyler Vazquez is the Brevard County government and North Brevard Watchdog Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Vazquez at 321-480-0854 or tvazquez@floridatoday.com

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: New developments for old City Hall site in Cocoa Village considered