Spotlight 135-250902

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

A Proposed Vote on City Election Dates
A Renovation Plan for Marine Stadium
An Update on the Grove Playhouse

Back in Play: Miami’s Future Election Dates

The Miami City Commission meets Friday to consider a proposed ballot measure that would let voters decide whether they want to move the date of future elections.

By Don Finefrock

The Miami City Commission may toss the question of when to hold city elections to voters this week, after weathering three legal defeats and fierce public blowback over its decision in June to postpone the 2025 election until 2026 without a public vote.

The City Commission is scheduled to meet Friday to decide on two proposed ballot referendums – one of which would let voters decide whether they want to elect their mayor and city commissioners in even-numbered years, when voter turnout is higher.

If approved by voters in November, the proposed charter change would shift the city’s election calendar by one year, starting in 2031.

Commission candidates elected in 2027 would serve for five years, not four, and face reelection in 2032, according to Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo.

City Commission to Meet on Fate of Marine Stadium

“We are finally at a point where we have a plan and a trajectory for the renovation of Miami Marine Stadium,” City Manager Art Noriega said in a video posted on social media late last week.

By Daniel Rivero

Miami Marine Stadium was on the cover of GQ magazine this month, showing football star and Taylor Swift fiancé Travis Kelce soaring over the water in a jet pack. In the background of the shoot, the graffiti from decades of abandonment loom large.

But Marine Stadium might not be abandoned for much longer.

The City of Miami has called a special commission meeting on Friday at 10 a.m. to address the future of the waterside venue that that has been abandoned and unused by the city since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

The commission will consider putting an item on this November’s ballot asking residents whether to approve a contract for the private company Global Spectrum L.P to manage and operate the facility.

Historic Board Returns to Playhouse Rubble

The City of Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board is scheduled to meet this week for the first time since the Playhouse auditorium was torn down.

By Don Finefrock

The City of Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board returns from a summer hiatus this week with the Coconut Grove Playhouse on the agenda for discussion.

Since the HEP board last met in July, the rear auditorium of the 99-year-old playhouse has been reduced to rubble, leaving the three-story façade at the corner of Main Highway and Charles Avenue as the lone sentinel of the theater’s storied past.

Miami-Dade County is moving forward with its plan to restore the façade and open a 300-seat modern theater behind it, with a parking garage, in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the theater’s opening in 2027.

Critics of the county’s plan are urging opponents to attend the HEP board meeting on Tuesday at 3 p.m. at Miami City Hall.

Letters to the Editor

Readers React: Robots that roam downtown Grove delivering take-out food are a nuisance that we shouldn’t have to tolerate, one readers says.

Is New Construction in Coconut Grove Contributing to Flooding on Your Property?

The Coconut Grove Spotlight is examining reports of drainage problems and flooding that residents say may be tied to recent development projects built next to their homes. We are seeking input from property owners and tenants who have experienced flooding, runoff, or related water management issues since nearby construction began. Your experience could help shed light on whether building practices are affecting surrounding neighborhoods.

If you’ve been impacted, please contact us
at [email protected] and put “Flooding” in the subject line. Include your full name and a phone number in case we’d like to follow up. Your name will not be used without your permission.

Thanks,
The Coconut Grove Spotlight Team