Good morning. What we’re covering in today’s Spotlight:
- A New Home for the Coconut Grove Laundry
- Proposed Bike Trail Bonuses for Developers
- A New Community Center for Armbrister Park
A pair of zoning changes set for review this week would let developers build higher and denser near bike and pedestrian “greenways” like the Commodore Trail and the Underline in exchange for cash payments or other “public benefits.”
By David Villano

A little-noticed proposal moving through City Hall could dramatically increase building height and density throughout Miami by allowing developers to vastly exceed current zoning limits on properties near bike and pedestrian corridors in exchange for cash payments or other negotiated public benefits.
Under the proposed legislation, properties within a quarter mile of city-designated “greenways” — including, in Coconut Grove, the Underline along U.S. 1 and the Commodore Trail, which runs the length of the neighborhood — would be eligible for additional development incentives.
The go-to laundry service for many Coconut Grove residents moved west this week to a temporary location at 3634 Grand Ave., with plans for a new permanent facility around the corner on Douglas Road.
By Jenny Jacoby

The Espinosa family packed up their sewing machines last weekend and switched off the conveyor belt that’s been spinning freshly-cleaned clothes inside Coconut Grove Laundry & Cleaners for decades.
The family-run business, a Coconut Grove landmark since 1961, moved west this week to a temporary location at 3634 Grand Avenue to make way for the proposed five-story mixed-use Ziggurat development.
The existing building at Grand Avenue and Matilda Street, where Angel Espinosa Sr. opened the family business after leaving Cuba more than 60 years ago, is destined to be demolished in the next few weeks as construction begins on the new development.
Demolition of the current community center at Ambrister Park will commence in the next six weeks, clearing the way for a new building twice its size, with an estimated completion date of July 2027.
By Jenny Jacoby

After six years of planning, Esther Mae Ambrister Park is finally getting a new community center, a $9.5 million investment by the City of Miami that will anchor the sports-oriented park at the corner of Grand Avenue and Jefferson Street.
The 10,000-square-foot, two-story structure will double the size of the current building, with nearly 2,000 square feet of space for community gatherings, classrooms, an art room, a warming kitchen, restrooms and storage space for sports equipment.
Demolition of the existing building is expected to begin in April, with construction projected to take just over a year and completion targeted for July 2027.
Miami Commissioner Damian Pardo and his staff are launching a monthly series of permit clinics to help Coconut Grove homeowners and small businesses obtain permits from the City of Miami. The clinics will be held on the first Friday of the month beginning this week on Friday April 3 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the District 2 office at 3646 Grand Avenue near Douglas Road. “We will have people from the City of Miami who will be able to assist you in getting permits and working you through the process,” Javier Gonzalez, District 2 liaison for Coconut Grove, announced last week. “The goal is to have one every month. You can make an appointment, or just walk in.” To make an appointment, call 305-250-5333.
Readers React: As Miami officials debate whether to expand the city’s Affordable Housing Transfer of Development Density program, a Spotlight reader imagines a conversation between a Coconut Grove developer and his zoning attorney.
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