Zephyrhills City Hall and Library

ECHELON’S CORDOVA STONE PAIRED WITH TRADITIONAL RED BRICK – CREATES ELEGANT TIMELESS LOOK FOR STATELY NEW CIVIC PLAZA

Background

Located just 30 miles north of Tampa Bay, Zephyrhills, Florida—best known for its sparkling spring water—has undergone a great deal of change during the past decade. The community of 18,000+ gives off a charming, small-town vibe while boasting convenient access to Tampa’s broader amenities. As part of the city’s “full-time community” rebranding, city leaders planned for the long-term expansion and customization of municipal services for its growing population.

One of the first goals for city officials was to replace a group of outdated Zephyrhills municipal buildings that were not properly serving the community. The phased-in transformation began in 2015 when the renowned Florida architectural firm, Harvard Jolly, was enlisted to design a replacement structure for the long-standing library.

The Challenge

Project Architect and Senior Vice-President, Amy Weber Bradlow, recollected, “City officials desired a dignified, iconic civic building with a historic character befitting the City of Zephyrhills.”

To create a sense of permanence, city planners needed to maintain a foundational look for future municipal building renovations. This forward-thinking vision challenged Bradlow and her team to search for exterior materials that would provide both cohesion and flexibility for ongoing rebuilds.

The Solution

After extensive research, the Harvard Jolly team selected red brick and Cordova Stone in Alabaster, a high-density, prefinished architectural stone cladding manufactured by Echelon Masonry.

Cordova Stone was engineered to achieve the look of natural stone by incorporating all-natural aggregates and recycled content, delivering a prestigious appearance which has withstood the test of time.

Pairing it with red brick for the Zephyrhills Library, which was also used on the adjacent Fire Station, evoked the quaint, historical look that city planners desired. The two materials served that unifying, yet flexible, design purpose for this cornerstone project.

Bradlow remarked, “The two materials contrasted to create that elegant red brick and cream white stone look. We added a few different textures for visual interest and incorporated various brick details and corbeling. It’s such a classic look.”

Plans moved forward a few years later to replace the 1950s-era City Hall structure with a larger, classier, more efficient complex. The $6.2 million upgrade nearly doubled the facility’s original interior space to 19,000 square feet to accommodate open workspaces and multifunctional public meeting rooms.

Bradlow and her team incorporated parallel elements of the library design into the City Hall plans to create a visual connection between the two exteriors. In both cases, Cordova Stone was used to frame the arched brick entrance ways, which showcased large Palladian windows. The stone was also used for standalone half-walls at the entrance.

The final, harmonizing feature of the transformation was installation of the accessible community courtyard, which was configured into the L-shaped grounds on the corner of 8th Street and 6th Avenue.

Cordova’s clean white architectural stone was used throughout the plaza on benches, standing gardens and the fountain, a symbol of pure water. The light bright accents helped to scale down the space and give it a warm, welcoming quality.

“That courtyard serves like a pre-function space for the chamber,” Bradlow explained, “and as a place for other community events or for people to relax and enjoy the outdoors.”

Cordova Stone was engineered to achieve the look of natural stone delivering a prestigious appearance which has withstood the test of time. “The…materials contrasted to create that elegant red brick and cream white stone look. We added a few different textures for visual interest and incorporated various brick details and corbeling. It’s such a classic look.”

— Project Architect and Senior Vice-President, Amy Weber Bradlow

The Result

The long-awaited completion of the civic complex comprised of City Hall, Zephyrhills Library, Zephyrhills Fire Station and the Courtyard, symbolized a commitment to a long-standing community — a place to put down roots. This anchor project launched a broader effort to oversee responsible planning for the city’s growth.

“The stone and brick gave it that historical, timeless look, and the Cordova was a great product to create the desired look, and it won’t take a lot of maintenance to keep it looking good and long lasting. That’s great for our city as well.”