Spotlight 104-250520

Good morning. What we’re covering in today’s Spotlight:

  • More Parties Proposed for The Hangar
  • How Bahamian Skill Built the Venetian Pool 
  • The People and Places of Little Bahamas

Despite claims that commercial use of the historic venue – part of the larger Regatta Harbour entertainment complex – is not what voters and city officials were once promised, the measure would remove all restrictions on special events through 2025.

By David Villano

Historic hangar at Dinner Key with a vibrant mural promoting 'The Messi Experience,' an interactive attraction dedicated to soccer star Lionel Messi.


The Miami City Commission on Thursday will consider a resolution to exempt The Hangar, a special events venue on Dinner Key, from any limits on the number of events it may host through the end of the year.

Current restrictions allow no more than 10 special events annually at city-owned venues, each one up to 14 days in duration. The Hangar at Regatta Grove is part of the seven-acre entertainment complex operating on publicly-owned waterfront property just north of Miami City Hall.

The Hangar – housed in the southernmost of five historically designated former seaplane hangars dating to the 1930s – has already reached its 10-event limit for the year, the commission resolution states. The proposed measure would allow unlimited events from June 1 to the end of 2025.

Recent events include the Pinta Miami art fair in December, the Montreux Jazz Festival Miami in March and the Wings of Hermès branding event in April. The venue also routinely hosts private parties and corporate events.


Expert stonemasons from the Bahamas who settled in and around Coconut Grove helped to build one of Coral Gables most popular – and iconic – landmarks.  

By Jimena Romero and Julia Cooper

On a hot afternoon last August, the Venetian Pool in Coral Gables seemed almost idyllic. Little kids swam under the waterfall and into a cave. Their parents sunbathed under lush palm trees.

Built from coral rock with two towers, a bridge and a waterfall, the Venetian Pool is best known for its iconic Mediterranean Revival aesthetic. 

What’s less-well known: How the pool’s enduring appeal was crafted by Bahamian immigrants who settled Coconut Grove and nearby neighborhoods.

Today, the Venetian Pool is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and it annually attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. 

Long before the landmark became one of South Florida’s most popular tourist attractions, however, it was an eyesore. 


In recognition of Caribbean month this week, Miami-Dade College’s Gibson Education Center at 3629 Grand Avenue presents “Honoring Legacy: People and Places of Little Bahamas” on Friday May 23 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Featured speakers include Dr. Marvin Dunn, the noted historian of Black history in Florida and professor emeritus in psychology at Florida International University. Dunn, the author of “Black Miami in the Twentieth Century,” was honored with a lifetime achievement award on Sunday by Mosaic Miami, a nonprofit organization that promotes non-partisan civic engagement and community building. For more information, call 305-237-7998.


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