The Citadel in Little River to Open at the End of January

After about two years in the making, the Citadel has finally announced its imminent opening.

Though food halls have been popping up around Miami, when the Citadel opens at the end of January, it promises to bring much more to the table.

The project, by Nick Hamann and UrbanAtlanticGroup, turns the 60,000-square-foot former Federal Reserve Bank, built in 1951, into a combination food hall, market, and workspace that includes a rooftop bar, daily event activations, and a retail component. In the future, there are plans for a 500-seat live-music venue.

Pola Bunster of Prism Creative Group (which will provide the cultural programming and community events at the Citadel) confirmed several of the eateries that are scheduled to open.

Vice City Bean will offer coffee beverages, while pastry wunderkind Antonio Bachour will offer pastries, sweets, and chocolates. Steve Santana's Taquiza will sling tacos, and the team behind Coconut Grove's much-missed 33 Kitchen will open a burger concept. Ash! Pizza Parlor is a wood-fire pizza concept by the owners of Stanzione 87. In addition, Palmar, the Wynwood Chinese restaurant, will open at the Citadel along with a Creole sandwich shop, an omakase sushi bar, a charcuterie station, and a wine shop.

The Citadel will also include two bars. The first-floor bar will be a "locals hangout," Bunster says, serving well-priced drinks. Upstairs, a rooftop bar will pour more mixology-forward cocktails.

The space will offer jams on the roof, and a community space with a stage will be the place for a robust program of events. Across a breezeway from the food hall, retail shops will begin rolling in over the next few months.

Entercomm Communications, which operates several Miami-area radio stations — including Lite FM, the Beach, the Shark, WQAM Sports Radio, 790 the Ticket, Kiss Country, and Power 96 — will move into the building's third floor in the coming months. The radio stations and recording studios should attract a multitude of music- and sports-industry people, according to Bunster.

Though there's no set opening date, the Citadel is planning an "inauguration" party Sunday, January 27. From noon to 4 p.m., the kid-friendly, dog-friendly event will be free to the public and will offer music, tastings, and a sneak peek at the Citadel. Food will be available for purchase, and the Indie Flea, bringing 30 vintage and maker vendors, will take over the retail space for the event.

The Citadel's Inauguration Block Party. Noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, January 27, at 8300 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-989-8601; thecitadelmiami.com. Admission is free with RSVP via eventbrite.com.