Developer Agave Ponce LLC and other stakeholders formally broke ground Sept. 20 on The Plaza Coral Gables, which Agave Ponce is calling the largest mixed-use development within the city of Coral Gables, Fla. Foundation work began earlier this year. Coastal-Tishman was named general contractor on one of the first project packages in June. CallisonRTKL designed the project. A total of 2.5 million sq ft of construction will take place during the 36- to 40-month project timeline across the site’s seven acres. Among the scope of work is a luxury 4.5-star hotel, two Class A office towers, residential space, restaurants, retail and other commercial space, as well as both indoor and outdoor entertainment venues. The development will include two city trolley stops that carry passengers to the Metrorail and the Coral Gables Business District. Work also includes a one-acre public plaza facing Ponce de Leon Boulevard. The project is expected to be LEED certified. Developers estimate that the project will create approximately 1,682 jobs, with worker pay totalling around $47 million. An additional $43 million is anticipated to be generated from other project-related economic activity.