Spotlight 173-260113

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

  • A New Front in the Playhouse Battle
  • A New Buyout Offer at the Mutiny
  • A New Direction for the Tower Theater

Opponents of the county’s plan to revive the historic theater as a smaller playhouse with commercial components are seeking to block Miami-Dade County from using bond funding to complete the project.  

By Don Finefrock

Now that the Coconut Grove Playhouse auditorium has been reduced to rubble and carted away, opponents of the county’s plan to revive the historic theater as a smaller venue are hoping to block the project by challenging a key source of funding.

Opponents went to court last year to stop demolition of the 1,100-seat auditorium, but were not successful. The judge assigned to the case did not intervene, and the playhouse auditorium was torn down, as planned.

That defeat did not end the litigation, however. 


Another developer has stepped up to the plate to acquire the iconic Mutiny property overlooking Biscayne Bay. Will investor-owners and residents put tensions to rest and agree to the latest offer?

By Izzy Kapnick

The Mutiny Condominium – a Coconut Grove landmark with a storied past – is the target of another buyout effort, as developer BH Group pursues a bid on the property overlooking Biscayne Bay.

Owners in the 12-story condominium-hotel at 2951 South Bayshore Drive received a letter this month from BH Group stating that the developer is aiming to acquire the building – the latest in a string of buyout proposals for the Mutiny. 

BH Group told owners it plans to send out individual offers for their units this week.


The Miami City Commission voted last week to hand control of the historic Tower Theater back to Miami Dade College, reversing a controversial 2022 decision that placed the theater under the direct control of Miami City Commissioner Joe Carollo.  

By Spotlight Staff & WLRN

In her first commission meeting as mayor of Miami, Eileen Higgins has moved to reshape the arts and culture scene in Little Havana and beyond by returning control of the historic Tower Theater on Calle Ocho to Miami Dade College.

The Miami City Commission voted unanimously on Thursday – at the mayor’s request – to negotiate a new management agreement with the college for theater programming, an effort that aims to revive a flagging venue the city itself has managed since 2023.


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