Spotlight 155-251111

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

  • The Growth of Youth Sailing in Miami
  • A $20 Million Gift for Vizcaya
  • The Return of Live Theater in the Grove   

With an explosion of youth sailing programs around Coconut Grove, a generation of youth sailors is making its mark on the world stage. 

By Walter Villa

Sander Block remembers feeling frustrated. He can still recall the tears.

Block, a Coconut Grove resident, was just 10 when he competed in his first Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta. 

On a windy day, Block’s boat capsized, and he wasn’t strong enough to get the vessel righted. When his coach jumped in to help, Block’s race was over.


Billionaire Ken Griffin has found a willing partner to help him relocate the historic bayfront home he bought in 2022. Vizcaya Museum and Gardens has agreed to make Villa Serena a part of Vizcaya Village, if local officials approve the move. 

By Don Finefrock

Image of Villa Serena with a superimposed question mark over it, reflecting the community's uncertainty and concern over the historic mansion's future following its purchase and potential relocation by a new owner

Billionaire hedge fund manager Ken Griffin, new to Miami but already a power player in terms of local philanthropy, has donated $20 million to Vizcaya Museum and Gardens to support the restoration of the estate’s historic farm village.

Vizcaya announced the gift on Friday, describing it as a “defining moment” for the future of the Miami landmark, but the collaboration doesn’t end there.

Griffin wants to uproot and relocate Villa Serena, a historic home he owns nearby that is part of a waterfront estate he acquired from Adrienne Arsht in 2022 for $106.9 million. 


Festival organizers are inviting local playwrights and directors to submit original work for a four-day theater festival in April 2026 at the Coconut Grove Woman’s Club.

By Liz Tracy

For Halloween this year, costumed children trick-or-treating on Fuller Street in downtown Coconut Grove were treated to a pop-up performance of an original children’s play produced by the Coconut Grove Theatre Festival.

The performance was part of a themed event – Alice in WonderGrove – organized by the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District (BID). But the theater group had a message of its own to deliver that night: 


Two public forums are planned for Miami’s mayoral runoff between Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez. The first will take place Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Koubek Center’s Theater of Miami Dade College, 2705 Southwest 3rd Street (near 27th Avenue and Eighth Street). Sponsored by the League of Women Voters, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida, and neighborhood associations citywide, including Miami Shenandoah NA, Coral Gate NA, Greater Little Havana NA, Downtown NA, Biscayne NA and One Grove Alliance, doors open at 6:15 p.m. and the forum begins at 7:00 p.m. Local 10 News reporter Nicole Perez will moderate. Free tickets are available here.

The second forum will be held Monday, Nov. 17, at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, 3515 South Douglas Road, sponsored by the Coconut Grove Village Council and One Grove Alliance. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the forum begins at 7:30 p.m. Editors from Coconut Grove Spotlight will moderate. No advance ticket is required. In both forums, candidates will be available before and after to speak with voters individually. Both candidates have confirmed their attendance at each event.


Recent News

News, Politics

This week’s election results in the City of Miami gave a boost to the reform agenda pushed by Miami District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo and others.

News, Village Life

Organizers say this year’s Veterans Day parade through the West Grove will be bigger than last year’s event, with 16 marching bands.

News, Village Life

A new portion of the Underline has opened beneath the Metrorail and across from Coconut Grove, with space for community events, bike rentals, food trucks, and more.

News, Politics

More than 21,000 Miami residents – 12% of all eligible voters – have already voted ahead of this week’s election.  That includes 13,133 people who voted by mail this year,…

News, Politics

Miami voters will choose a new mayor, two new commissioners, and vote on four proposed charter amendments this year. Election day is Tuesday Nov. 4.

News, Village Life

Coconut Grove residents say a long-neglected wall on U.S. 1 is an eyesore and safety hazard, racking up hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines as city enforcement drags on.

News, Politics

The high cost of housing and other basic expenses in Miami is driving a conversation about affordability in the race for mayor this year.

News, Village Life, Work

Despite multiple complaints to City of Miami officials — and at least one citation for violating the city’s noise ordinance — residents say repairs at a Center Grove office building…

News Briefs

Two public forums are planned for Miami’s mayoral runoff between Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former City Manager Emilio Gonzalez. The first will take place Thursday, Nov. 13, at the Koubek…

News Briefs, Where we’ll be

The Grove has its dancing shoes on and its heart wide open this week — dancing, singing, reminiscing, and generally refusing to act its age. From the bold new moves…

News Briefs, Where we’ll be

Halloween’s barely out the door, but we’re not done dressing up—just trading cobwebs for culture. The week ahead is all rhythm and shimmer: live music under the palms, art that…

Letters to the Editor

Editor’s Note: Robert Denardes Whittle Jr. was fatally shot on Aug. 6 at Ike’s Food Center on Douglas Road in Coconut Grove. Loretta Scippio-Whittle, the president of Macedonia Missionary Baptist…

Letters to the Editor

To the Editor: For too long, the shape of Miami’s political map has determined the shape of our democracy. Lines drawn in back rooms have divided neighborhoods, weakened communities, and silenced…

News Briefs, Where we’ll be

Call it Cultural Whiplash. It’s officially that time of year when your social calendar looks like a ransom note. The Grove’s rolling out concerts, costumes, crafts, and carnivals faster than…


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