Spotlight 116-250627

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

A Historic Church Finds its Groove
Merchants Relocate Ahead of Development
A Guilty Plea in Art Fraud Case
The Grove’s Traffic Woes

The Beat Goes On: Grove Church Defies the Odds

The Christian Science Society of Coconut Grove – one of Miami’s oldest churches – is hanging on, barely, thanks to a rock-drumming evangelist determined to share the gospel of both music and religion.

By Mike Clary

On a recent Saturday evening, Kevin John Simon set up his Ludwig drum kit outside a storefront in Center Grove and, as he welcomed arriving bandmates, unfolded eight chairs on the sidewalk for the audience. Minutes later the Jazz Cats launched the first set of the night with a swinging version of “It Had to Be You.”

This free concert – like those staged weekly here during the winter, monthly in summer – was designed both to entertain and to spread the word about Christian Science and the church’s Reading Room at 3456 Main Highway, which provided the backdrop for the performance.

“We’ve been in the Grove since the 1890s,” Simon often tells audiences, a reference to the founding of the church here by some of Miami’s earliest and most prominent pioneers, including Isabella Peacock, whose family gave its name to the palm-shrouded waterfront park not far from here.

Grove Merchants Relocate Ahead of Center Grove Demolition

With groundbreaking on the horizon for the upscale Ziggurat mixed-use project on Grand Avenue, a half dozen small business owners are finding new locations to call home.

By Jenny Jacoby

As groundbreaking nears for Ziggurat, the five-story, mixed-use project on Grand Avenue in Center Grove, displaced merchants are finding new homes across Coconut Grove.

Of the six businesses impacted, three have found new homes, one has narrowed the search to two properties and another has purchased new property nearby.

Demolition on the 1.7-acre site, at the corner of Grand Avenue and Matilda Street, is expected to begin late this year. The existing tenants, principally mom-and-pop operations, have been told to vacate by November 1.

Among those with new locations is the UPS Store which is leasing space at the southeast corner of Grand Avenue and Douglas Road. The storefront, which will open mid-July, will be significantly larger than their current space and will have 10 designated parking spots for visitors.

Co-Defendant Pleads Guilty in Coconut Grove Art Fraud Case

The Sunny Isles man, who admitted to charges of wire fraud, is an alleged associate of art dealer Les Roberts, whose Miami Fine Art Gallery in Center Grove is the subject of a federal investigation.

By Izzy Kapnick

Early last year, Carlos Rodriguez Melendez, dressed in all-black garb, white gloves and posing as an appraiser from a renowned London auction house, arrived at the Miami home of a wealthy collector and studied a set of prints, hanging upon a wall, purportedly by the pop-art icon Andy Warhol. His conclusion: authentic works of art.

The visit came as the collector, who had purchased millions of dollars’ worth of art through Coconut Grove’s Miami Fine Art Gallery, had begun to suspect an elaborate fraud scheme allegedly spearheaded by the gallery’s owner, Leslie Roberts.

Earlier this week Rodriguez, a 38-year-old Sunny Isles resident, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and agreed to pay $5,000 in restitution. He’s facing a maximum of 20 years in prison, though prosecutors are recommending a shorter term in light of his cooperation with the investigation.

According to federal officials, Roberts paid Rodriguez $5,500, provided him with bogus business cards bearing the auction house’s name, and deployed him to the collector’s residence alongside an associate, in an elaborate bid to cover up the art fraud.

Voices: Traffic Trouble in the Grove

Despite years of grassroots pressure and a few hard-won improvements, Grove residents still face a daily struggle with unsafe streets, lax enforcement, and development disruptions that often ignore basic resident needs.

By Hank Sanchez-Resnik

“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” Substitute “traffic” for “weather” in that timeless quip, and you have a good description of where things stand today in Coconut Grove.

To say that nobody is doing anything about the Grove’s traffic problems isn’t entirely accurate, however. It just seems that way because the Grove’s traffic is an integral part of our lives and a constant threat to what makes Coconut Grove such a special place.

What follows is an update on both the progress the Grove is making with traffic and the formidable obstacles that block Grovites’ efforts to address the problem. First, some small victories.

Opponents Seek Injunction to Halt Playhouse Demo

Opponents of the county’s plan to restore and reopen the Coconut Grove Playhouse filed an emergency motion this week to halt the demolition work now underway at the landmark theater on Main Highway. The emergency motion, filed on Sunday by attorney David Winker, asks Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Mavel Ruiz to issue a temporary injunction freezing the project “unless and until” final design plans are approved by the City of Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board (HEPB) and the Florida Division of Historical Resources completes a review of the project. Opponents made a similar request in April when Winker first went to court to halt the demolition, but there’s been little progress in the case since then. The judge set a calendar for the pending lawsuit earlier this month with a projected trial date in summer 2026. No hearings have been scheduled to date, according to the court docket, and Winker did not respond to a request for comment.

District 2 Office Opens on Grand Avenue

Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo has opened a satellite office on Grand Avenue in the West Grove. Commission staff began moving into the new office at 3646 Grand Avenue last week. Although there’s no exterior signage and no official ribbon-cutting as of yet, Javier Gonzalez, the District 2 staff liaison for Coconut Grove, announced the opening of the Grand Avenue office this week at the Village West Homeowners and Tenants Association (HOATA) meeting. “Some of you may know, we have an office, a new office on Grand Avenue,” Gonzalez said. “We are actually in there pretty much now. We kind of moved in last week, very soft, but we are there, so please stop by.” The opening comes at an opportune time for Pardo and his staff, as the District 2 office at City Hall closes for renovations. The Grand Avenue office will remain open as a satellite office once those renovations are complete.

Where We’ll Be

From B-I-N-G-O to Boom! Boom! Boom!

Video Games @ the Library. Chill out with a Nintendo Switch and some light competition. Whether you’re playing solo or tag-teaming with a buddy, it’s two hours of low-stress, high-score fun. Virrick Park Branch, 3255 Plaza Street. Friday 6/27 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Free.

Free Food Distribution. County Commissioner Raquel Regalado’s office invites those in need to drive through, pop your trunk, and take home a bundle of fresh groceries for the weekend. First come, first served. 2805 Southwest 32nd Avenue. Friday 6/27 from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Free.

Saturday Movie Matinee: Dog Man. Half dog, half cop, all bark and bite. Bring the whole crew for a family-friendly flick and some snacks on the side. Coconut Grove Branch Library, 2875 McFarlane Road. Saturday 6/28 from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Free. All ages welcome.

Emancipendence! The 2nd Annual Juneteenth and Florida Emancipation Day Celebration features performances from local churches, schools, civic groups, and more. Come early for a light brunch before the show. Sanctuary of the Arts, 136 Frow Ave. Sunday 6/29 at 2:00 p.m. Free.

The most expensive show in Miami. And you can have a front row seat as the $3.5 Billion-with-a-B budget for the City of Miami is presented for your amazement. This is an audience participation show, as the cast of the Office of Management and Budget invites you to join in. It’s half scripted, half improv as the staff starts with prompts and you take it from there with your questions and comments. Two local performances. Virrick Park, 3255 Plaza Street on Monday 6/30 at 6:30 p.m. and Shenandoah Park’s Recreation Building, 1800 SW 21st Avenue on Tuesday 7/1 at 6:30 p.m. No copies of the program were available prior to the Spotlight going to press, but you can get more information here or by calling the cast’s office at 305-416-1500.

Community Painting Club. Paint, sip (your own coffee), and vibe out with other art lovers. Bring your own materials and get creative together. Coconut Grove Branch Library, 2875 McFarlane Road. Monday 6/30 from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Free. All ages.

BINGO Night for Kids. B-4. I-1-2. Let’s Go! Everyone’s a winner when you’re playing the most classic game of chance. Shenandoah Branch Library, 2111 Southwest 19th Street. Tuesday 7/1 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Free. For ages 6–12. Free.

Grove & Glory: Your July Fourth Rundown. Ready for sparklers, marching bands, and centennial sky shows? This Fourth of July, Miami’s got something for every kind of patriot—from neighborhood parades to historical readings to all-out fireworks finales. Here’s where to wave the flag and make the most of your red, white, and groove:

Launch your Fourth in the Grove with Out Loud Across America, a community celebration at the Woman’s Club. Bonus: It opens with lawn readings from the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Bring a chair, bring a blanket, bring your voice. Woman’s Club of Coconut Grove, 11:00 a.m. (readings), party 2:00–6:00 p.m. Free.

March to the Key for the annual Key Biscayne Fourth of July Parade—a hometown classic with everything from golf carts to baton twirlers. Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne, 11:00 a.m. Free.

Red, White & Grove. Cross the street from the Woman’s Club, claim your patch of grass, and let the red, white, and woo-hoo commence. The Miami Symphony Orchestra takes the stage under the stars, led by Maestro Eduardo Marturet in a patriotic power set. Taste of the Grove, presented by the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District, brings the bites, local restaurants bring the heat, and the Kids Zone keeps the little ones buzzing. Cap it all off with a drone-and-fireworks finale to light up the sky. Peacock Park, 2820 McFarlane Road. Friday 7/4 from 3:05 to 9:00 p.m. Free.

Glide into the evening at A Gables Fourth, the city’s centennial celebration at the Biltmore. Expect a live concert, a Coral Gables–themed drone show, and a grand finale fireworks display—plus food trucks and bike valet. Biltmore Hotel, Coral Gables, grounds open 5:00 p.m., concert 7:00 p.m., show at 9:00 p.m. Free.

Wherever you land, may your Fourth be loud, lit, and full of local love.

Yoga with (Uncle?) Sam. Recover from the Boom! Boom! Boom! with a gentle hour of movement, breath, and restoration. All levels welcome. Just bring a mat, wear something comfy, and come as you are. Shenandoah Branch Library, 2111 Southwest 19th Street. Saturday 7/5 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Free.

Matilda Jr. Roald Dahl’s pint-sized powerhouse hits the stage in a musical bursting with rebellion, imagination, and a whole lot of clever kids. Area Stage Black Box Theatre, 5701 Sunset Drive, Suite 286. Saturday and Sunday 7/5–7/6. Four performances only. Tickets.

Disney’s Tarzan. Go ape for this jungle-sized musical with heart, high-flying action, and Phil Collins on the soundtrack. Area Stage, The Shops at Sunset Place, 2nd floor. Opens Thursday 7/17. Shows Thursdays through Sundays at 2:00 and 7:00 p.m. Tickets.

Binding Histories. Make a book, share a story, and be part of a community art installation at Vizcaya. Drop-in workshops happen every weekend through mid-July. Vizcaya Village Garage, across from the main estate. Weekends through 7/13. Free with registration.

Save Me a Seat

Mango Festival. Juicy, joyful, and totally tropical. Fairchild’s famous fruit bash returns with rare varieties, mango-fueled dishes, cocktails, music, games, and more. Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road. Saturday and Sunday 7/12–7/13. Tickets online.