The long-festering debate over the Coconut Grove Playhouse moves to the City Commission this week for what could be a final vote on the county’s controversial plan to surround a new, smaller theater with shops, a restaurant, and office space.
News
Recent, noteworthy information and events.
Interviews with prominent figures affecting local life.
City May Require Sidewalk Protection at Construction Sites
After months of resident complaints, a proposed ordinance would require temporary pedestrian protection at commercial construction sites, addressing one of Coconut Grove’s most persistent frustrations: prolonged sidewalk closures.
Governor Approves Expansion of Live Local Act
The latest version of the controversial 2023 law makes more land available for Live Local workforce housing projects, including land owned by local governments, school districts, and churches.
City Borrowed $142 Million Last Year, Pushing Debt Near $1 Billion
With city commissioners set to consider a series of bond-related measures next week — possible groundwork for a proposed $450 million public safety bond — the city’s own audited financial statements show last year’s borrowing increased debt and borrowing costs while new fiscal pressures continue to mount.
A Crowd-Sourced Art Event at Vizcaya
How Studio Vizcaya has turned artmaking into a Miami summer tradition.
Inside City Hall: The Rise of Six-Figure Public Safety Pensions
As Miami officials ask voters to approve $450 million in borrowing for new police and fire facilities, a Spotlight analysis of retirement records reveals another major long-term public safety cost: The city’s police and fire retirement system paid out nearly $192 million last year in pension and cost-of-living benefits.
Meet Your New Neighbor: The Coyote
Wildlife experts say coyotes are here to stay, like the other exotic animals that have quickly adapted to life in South Florida.
Does Florida’s Property Tax Reform Threaten Local Libraries?
An advocate for the Miami-Dade County public library system, which include the Coconut Grove and Virrick Park branch libraries, says the proposed tax measure represents an “existential threat” to local libraries and the services they provide.
A Final Showdown Over the Coconut Grove Playhouse?
Critics of the proposed development plan for the Coconut Grove Playhouse got another chance this week to voice their concerns, ahead of a pivotal vote next month by the Miami City Commission.
City Approves Final Design for Kirk Munroe, Fuller Street
The move caps a public planning process led by the Allen Morris Company, the Coral Gables firm that is building the upscale Ziggurat mixed-use development on the former site of the Coconut Grove Laundry & Cleaners.














