Fort Lauderdale opens time capsule hidden at City Hall. So what was inside?

FORT LAUDERDALE — Some had their own ideas about what might be in the time capsule that waited 55 years to opened outside City Hall on Tuesday.

But there were no blue suede shoes, as Commissioner Warren Sturman guessed. No baseball cards, as one man predicted right before the capsule was opened. And no photos of a young Dean Trantalis, the current mayor of Fort Lauderdale. (That was a tongue-in-cheek joke from Vice Mayor Steve Glassman).

Instead, city officials found a tourism brochure. An old copy of the Fort Lauderdale News, with a headline about the Vietnam War. A short film that shows crews building City Hall. Fort Lauderdale’s annual report, dated 1967. A small American flag. A state flag. And a city flag.

Mayor Dean Trantalis did the honors before a crowd that included former Mayor Jack Seiler, the entire commission, several activists and dozens of city employees.

The time capsule had been nestled inside a wall at City Hall for more than half a century, waiting to be opened.

“I think we’re all looking forward to seeing what’s inside that time capsule,” Trantalis said.

After the opening of the time capsule, the event turned into a ceremonial demolition of the building at 100 N. Andrews Ave.

The nine-story building has served as City Hall since 1969. But it was dealt a death blow on April 12, 2023, when a record-breaking rainstorm flooded the basement and essentially shut down the building for good.

On Tuesday, the mayor led the crowd in a countdown as a backhoe sat ready to knock down a portion of an outside wall. Some clapped and hollered as the wall crumbled to the ground.

The actual work, however, has not yet started.

The building will need to come down in stages. The entire project is expected to take from 15 to 18 weeks.

City officials are expecting FEMA to cover the cost of the demolition, an estimated $15 million. When the grant comes in, the demolition will begin.

Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com . Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan