Construction crews began gutting the Coconut Grove Playhouse auditorium this week, as Miami-Dade County moves forward with its restoration plan.
Village Life
Personalities. History. Environment. Lifestyle. Crime. Schools. Health. Neighborhoods. Civic Groups. Public Events. Social Trends.
The Future of Coconut Grove is on the Line
Dear Editor: This week, the future of Coconut Grove as a low-rise neighborhood is on the line as the Miami City Commission will be considering a critical zoning issue that would allow for taller residential developments to be built along our major corridors. Why should you care? Because if we[Read More…]
Let the Curtain Rise Again: A Call to Save the Playhouse
Dear Editor: There are places in a city that are more than brick and mortar. They are vessels of memory, spirit, and story. The Coconut Grove Playhouse is such a place – a grand old dame of South Florida’s cultural soul, standing at the corner of Main Highway and Charles[Read More…]
From “Visionary” to Indicted: Grove Art Dealer’s Stunning Fall from Grace
A string of lawsuits, a federal raid, a grand jury indictment and now an arrest have pulled the curtain on Grove gallery owner Leslie Roberts.
Leafy, No Way
The former home and garden of the founder of a century-old South Grove enclave – named for its verdant landscape and since the 1970s preserved by city decree – may go the way of the wrecking ball and chainsaw.
Opponents Head Back to Court to Block Playhouse Plan
A new lawsuit was filed this week after the City of Miami gave Miami-Dade County a green light to demolish a portion of the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse.
Still Barking: A Watchdog at 25
Despite failing health and a shoestring budget, citizen journalist and Grove resident Dan Ricker has spent a quarter-century holding local government accountable, one meeting at a time.
Plans Unveiled for Kirk Munroe Park, Fuller Street Makeovers
A high-end developer is proposing a sleek redesign of two long-neglected public spaces on either side of a planned five-story, mixed-use project in Center Grove.
FBI Raids Coconut Grove Art Gallery at Center of Fraud Allegations
Agents remove artwork from Miami Fine Art Gallery following Spotlight report on ongoing fraud allegations against veteran dealer. A team of FBI investigators descended upon a Coconut Grove art gallery early Wednesday morning. Witnesses say agents were seen removing works of art into two unmarked vans parked outside. An agent[Read More…]
County Moves Ahead on Plans to Demolish Playhouse Auditorium
Nearly 20 years after the playhouse closed, Miami-Dade County appears poised to move forward on its plan to save the playhouse by first demolishing a portion of the landmark building.
Sponsors + Advertisement
Recent News
Miami’s Billion-Dollar Boom, Part 3: City Hall’s Growing Payroll
Miami’s annual bill for salaries and employee
As Competing Visions Emerge, Commission to Weigh Future of City Hall
The Museum of Miami is the latest group to express
Miami’s Tree Permit Battles Reach City Commission
Four tree-removal appeals are headed to commissioners
Kenneth Treister, Architect Who Helped Reshape Coconut Grove, Dies at 96
The architect and artist behind the Mayfair and MiamiMiami’s Billion-Dollar Boom, Part 2: The Rising Cost of Public Safety
Over the past decade, Miami’s real estate boom
Inside City Hall: The Hidden Pay Fueling Miami’s Six-Figure Firefighter Pensions
Newly obtained pension records show Miami firefighters
Family Seeks Witnesses After Cyclist Critically Injured on Rickenbacker Causeway
The 63-year-old Miami orthopedic surgeon suffered
South Grove Residents Push for Safer Douglas Road Crossing
Miami-Dade County is studying a potential pedestrian
She Made It: Miami Swimmer Conquers the English Channel
A month after the Spotlight chronicled ChristineMiami’s Billion-Dollar Boom, Part 1: Where Did All the Money Go?
As commissioners prepare to consider another record