MARIA CASUSCELLI

• Lead the Architecture and Engineering Section within the County’s Design and Construction Services Division, providing strategic and technical oversight for the People and Internal Operations Department’s multibillion-dollar public facilities portfolio.
• Manage master planning, consultant and stakeholder coordination, and design standards and compliance for the new Miami Dade Civil and Probate Courthouse and MetroCenter Downtown Redevelopment—two flagship projects redefining the County’s core government footprint in downtown Miami.

Miami-Dade Civil and Probate Courthouse

• Oversee construction of the County’s new Civil and Probate Courthouse, a $260 million public-private partnership (P3) and the first civil infrastructure project of its kind in Florida, with a total contract value of $800 million.
• Serve as contract manager, representing the County in complex technical and legal matters, and collaborating with the County Attorney’s Office and the Office of the Mayor to resolve disputes during design and construction.
• Work directly with key stakeholders including the State Attorney’s Office, Administrative Office of the Courts, Clerk of Courts, Miami-Dade Police, Information Technology Department, and the Law Library to ensure operational readiness, compliance with design guidelines, and functional design alignment.
• Coordinate closely with the County’s Facilities and Operations Department and the Developer’s Facility Manager to ensure integration of building systems, security protocols, and emergency preparedness planning.
• Serve as the liaison between the Developer and the Miami-Dade Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources (RER) and the Building Department, reviewing design and permitting submittals and facilitating resolution of permitting issues in coordination with regulatory agencies.
• Led RFP development and procurement for over $25 million in Furniture, Fixtures & Equipment (FFE) and Security Systems Equipment (SSE); directed the installation and integration of $20 million in AV/LV systems and $3 million in public art through the County’s Art in Public Places program.

MetroCenter Redevelopment

• Provide design leadership for the MetroCenter Downtown Redevelopment, a transformative 17-acre initiative to reposition underutilized County-owned land into up to 23 million square feet of mixed-use development within Miami’s urban core.
• Provide strategic oversight for the MetroCenter Design Guidelines and County building design standards, ensuring alignment with long-term civic, transit, and institutional goals across the redevelopment footprint.
• Reviewed RFP proposals submitted by development teams for conformance with design standards and compatibility with the County’s operational needs and architectural vision.
• Coordinate with key public agencies and stakeholders—including the Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTPW), HistoryMiami Museum, and Miami-Dade Public Library—to ensure compatibility of future development with existing civic uses, transit infrastructure, and cultural institutions.

• Directed large-scale commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects from concept through construction administration, with combined budgets exceeding $1 billion.
• Managed multidisciplinary consultant teams across architecture, MEP, structural, civil, and landscape disciplines.
• Oversaw production of permit and construction document sets and led coordination with planning boards and regulatory agencies.
• Reviewed and negotiated consultant contracts, additional services, value engineering proposals, and construction cost adjustments.
• Led construction administration including submittals, RFIs, field directives, and site visits to ensure project execution and quality.
• Served as key client liaison, facilitating presentations to Design Review Boards, Planning Departments, and City Commissions.