Local News. Local Matters.
After more than a year of public debate, the design plans for Kirk Munroe Park and Fuller Street in Coconut Grove’s central business district are headed to the Miami City Commission for review and final approval.
A revised version of the controversial affordable housing density transfer program would exclude Coconut Grove from some aspects, but other late-stage changes — including a doubling of allowable bonus density — have dramatically expanded the scope of the proposal set for a final vote Thursday.
Wallace and her family are working to restore The Ace, the former “colored only” movie house and event space on Grand Avenue, with grant support from the City of Miami and the National Park Service. We caught up with her inside the Ace.
The waters surrounding Coconut Grove have improved since Miami-Dade County began monitoring the health of Biscayne Bay, but the overall picture remains grim.
Organizers collected more than 20,500 signed petitions, more than enough to win a spot on the August ballot, but the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections has rejected nearly half of those petitions.
A last-minute substitution memo revealed previously undisclosed spending tied to LoanDepot Park, along with dozens of new city positions and expanded budget powers for City Manager James Reyes — all approved without discussion by the City Commission.
As tree removal permits accelerate across the City of Miami, tree advocates are urging residents to challenge proposed removals by filing appeals – a time-consuming process that reflects the public’s growing concern about the loss of tree canopy.
The legal challenge — like a similar lawsuit focused on The WELL — centers on whether Miami officials unlawfully allowed developers to lock in three extra stories under a repealed zoning provision, as well as a separate claim that one of the projects is barred from any bonus-height allowance because of existing restrictions under the city’s Miami 21 zoning code.
The City Commission agreed to address traffic problems on eight Grove streets, established an advisory committee on trees, scheduled a voter referendum on the city’s election calendar, and deferred a decision on $450 million in new bond funding.
With little notice, Miami officials reassigned unused density credits from Mr. C Residences to The WELL Coconut Grove, allowing the proposed luxury condo project to increase its unit count by 50% — a first-of-its-kind maneuver with no clear basis in city code.
