Ira Leesfield, managing partner of the well-established personal injury law firm Leesfield & Partners, plans to construct a new five-to-seven story commercial building in Coconut Grove, featuring meeting spaces and a mock courtroom for Florida Bar members and the local community.
Leesfield announced that construction on the Leesfield Law Center is set to begin in October, with plans to complete the project by 2027. The building will be located next to the firm’s 8,000-square-foot office at 2360 Dixie Highway.
Once completed, the building will offer various amenities, including meeting rooms for local law firms, a full media center with podcast and webinar studios, and a mock courtroom for trial skills training. Additionally, there will be a small café named Café Cliente.
Founded in 1976, Leesfield & Partners employs 22 attorneys and staff members, with offices in Miami, Key West, and Orlando.
“We’ve been part of this community for over 40 years, and we’ve done a lot for it,” said Leesfield, who has been a speaker on legal topics for the past 15 years. “This project is a natural next step in providing the public with more legal education and resources.
Leesfield estimated that the building’s development will cost around $10 million. Thanks to strong ties within the community and support from generous friends, he assured that financing won’t be an issue.
The main challenge, however, lies in securing a walkway to connect the building to The Underline linear park across the street. The Underline, an evolving 10-mile urban park beneath the Metrorail tracks, will feature art installations, biking and jogging paths, playgrounds, and more. When completed, the park will stretch from Brickell to Dadeland South. The Leesfield Family Trust is a key private contributor to the project, sponsoring a sculpture garden and gathering space near the firm’s offices. Leesfield is also a board member of The Friends of The Underline.
“We can’t break ground until that’s figured out,” Leesfield explained.
The law firm won’t need to purchase additional land for the project. Leesfield and Roger Blackburn bought the 15,000-square-foot lot for Leesfield & Partners’ current office in 1982 for $649,000. The adjacent 7,500-square-foot lot at 2370 S. Dixie Highway, where the new building will rise, was purchased by Leesfield and his wife, Cynthia, in 1996 for $140,000. The existing house on the site will be demolished and replaced with the new structure.
Leesfield is no stranger to large projects. He spearheaded extensive renovations to the firm’s headquarters, a 1972-era building, about 13 years ago. He also transformed a former cigar factory in Key West into the firm’s Monroe County office.
“I’ve been considering this for years, but I never felt fully empowered to move forward,” Leesfield said. “Now that our practice is thriving and I have the right team in place, it’s the right time.”
Source: SFBJ