Doral Cultural Arts Center Plans For City’s 20th Birthday

Since officially opening in October 2022, the Doral Cultural Arts Center has hosted a wide array of activities – becoming the city’s hub for all arts.

So far this year, the center at 8363 NW 53rd St. has showcased Prayer Day, Women’s History, Sister Cities Art, and Music and World Music exhibits. Art After Dark workshops, Comedy Night with Red and Latin dance classes were also on the roster.

In the next couple of months, the cultural arts center is planning to host the city’s 20th anniversary commemorative reception on Aug. 24, which will feature a historical exhibit showcasing Doral’s history and evolution.

Starting Sept. 15, the arts center plans to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with art exhibits of paintings, sculptures, printmaking, mixed media, textile art and photography from local artists. The art pieces are to depict a connection or be influenced by cultural symbolic imagery, traditions, landscape, family, prosperity, values, and social and political perspective of Hispanic heritage.

Back in April, Doral city officials approved cost increase change orders to finalize close-out contract agreements for the construction of the arts center.

City council members agreed to increase KVC Constructors’ contract amount from $8.2 million to a new total not to exceed $9.3 million for outstanding change orders after the completion of the cultural arts center.

The arts center’s architectural firm, Bermello Ajamil & Partners, also got an increased contract approval of roughly $117,000 to a new not-to-exceed amount of about $852,000.

“The requested increase was needed to process a change order for construction, architectural and engineering extended services due to delayed dates of completion, unforeseen conditions and market conditions following Covid-19, which prolonged provided services more than initially projected,” said Lazaro Quintero, Doral’s assistant director for parks and recreation, at the time.

Initially, the Doral Cultural Art Center was projected to be completed in February 2022. After several city council approved extensions, the center was completed and delivered in May 2022.

An inauguration was then held in October 2022. The event was celebrated with the community, alongside project contractor KVC Constructors Inc., architect Bermello Ajamil & Partners and Codina Partners.

The arts center, adjacent to the City of Doral Government Center, is about 14,000 square feet and is the hub of cultural and performing arts in the city, with a large art gallery space, a multi-purpose room, outdoor courtyards/garden spaces and a rooftop plaza.

As part of the funding from the $150 million Parks General Obligation Bond that Doral voters passed in 2018, the Doral Cultural Arts Center was approved as a new park facility. The facility will be supported by satellite programming at both Doral Central Park and Doral Legacy Park.

“Every world-class city has culture at its core,” said Ana-Marie Codina Barlick, CEO of Codina Partners, during the time of the inauguration and ribbing-cutting ceremony. “It was always part of our vision for Doral to have a space that would lead it to be embraced as a forward-thinking, cultural center – a place that would enrich the lives of the city’s residents and draw ever more arts, cultural activities and events to this diverse and thriving city.”

Source: Miami Today