Community leaders from the West Grove met with Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo last week to discuss the Coconut Grove Playhouse and win his support for the neighborhood protections they are seeking. Playhouse neighbors fear the playhouse revival plan backed by Miami-Dade County will push unwanted traffic and commercial[Read More…]
Spotlight Staff
Mangos, Matches and World Cup Madness
School is out, summer has arrived and, just like that, rush-hour traffic has mysteriously vanished from South Bayshore Drive. In its place: mangos drop from the trees, Juneteenth celebrations fill the calendar, World Cup fever takes over the Grove and Vizcaya Village vaults into the squared circle. It’s the first[Read More…]
Greenway Bonus Density Proposal Advances
Miami’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board (PZAB) unanimously approved a controversial zoning proposal Wednesday that would allow developers to build taller and larger projects near bike and pedestrian paths and other so-called greenways. The proposed Greenway Public Benefits Program would permit bonus building height and floor-area ratio in exchange for[Read More…]
The Kids Show Us How It’s Done
If you’re going to do something well, commit to it, believe in it and make it happen. No better lesson starts off the week than the young actors of Inspire Theatre Project throwing themselves into the glorious craziness of SpongeBob SquarePants Jr. Full voice, full heart, full immersion commitment. That’s[Read More…]
City Rejects 11th-Hour Rewrite, Approves Grove Density Transfer Carve-Out
The Miami City Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a controversial expansion of the city’s affordable housing density transfer program, rejecting a last-minute effort by city administrators to weaken carve-outs for Coconut Grove and other protected neighborhoods. The 5-0 vote finalized a sweeping expansion of the program, which allows developers to[Read More…]
Film, Flamenco, Flowers and Fido
Moms on the mats, dogs in the park, Motown with a mission and flamenco with feeling lead the calendar. So if anyone in your household is saying “There’s nothing to do”, that is not a scheduling problem. It’s a research problem. And the Spotlight is here to help. Friday May[Read More…]
County Appeals PZAB’s Playhouse Decision
Miami-Dade County has appealed a City of Miami planning board decision that denied the county the permission it needs to rebuild and reopen the Coconut Grove Playhouse. A spokeswoman for the county’s Department of Cultural Affairs said the appeal had been received by the city, setting the stage for a[Read More…]
Arts Festival Awards $75,000 in Scholarships
Fifteen local art students received scholarships of $5,000 apiece this week from the Coconut Grove Arts Festival. The winning students – all high school seniors – were announced on Sunday at an event and student art exhibit at the Courtyard by Marriott Coconut Grove. The students were selected based on[Read More…]
Artists Open the Gates to the Grove’s Summer
Local artists get the first brushstroke this week, and rightly so. Kit Pancoast Nagamura returns to her childhood home – The Kampong (!) – with family roots, botanical eyes and an artistic trunk sturdy enough to hold several generations. In the Gibson Educational Center’s Pop-Up Gallery 162, you explore the[Read More…]
Weekend Danger Ahead
This weekend starts innocently enough. Maybe a concert. Maybe a quick stop at Fairchild. Maybe a library book club if civilization is to survive at all. Then Pow! You’re riding a free shuttle through the Grove, buying tropical plants you absolutely did not plan to own, cruising aboard moonlight sailboat[Read More…]
















