Spotlight 86-250318

Good morning. In today’s Spotlight:

A New Buyout Offer for the Mutiny
Dog Doo: Do We Have a Problem?
A Business Blooms in Center Grove

Mutiny Condo Owners Split on Sale as Second Buyout Offer Rolls In

Owners who’ve been residing in the Mutiny for years are poised to profit off a sale. But where will they live once the deal is done?

By Izzy Kapnick

Unit owners at Mutiny on the Bay – a Coconut Grove landmark with a rich history as a party hotspot during Miami’s cocaine boom – are mulling over a second buyout offer from competing developers who aim to raze the building and redevelop the site.

West Palm Beach developer Steven Figari and Slate Property Group from New York offered $160 million last month to buy the storied Grove landmark overlooking Biscayne Bay. The new bid follows on the heels of an earlier offer from DaGrosa Capital.

The Mutiny’s condominium board wrote in a March 12 letter to residents that Slate and Figari are “ready to send individual offers directly to each unit owner,” and that interested parties should reach out to the developers via email for purchase-price quotes.

The Mutiny Hotel rose to fame in the 1970s and ’80s as Hollywood A-listers and rock stars flocked to its onsite club. The hotel’s cocaine-fueled parties became the stuff of legend, embodying Miami’s decadence in the era. The property also served as a headquarters for drug kingpins, inspiring the “Babylon Club” scenes in the movie “Scarface.”

Pooped Out: Residents Sound Off on Dog Waste

Fed up with those who fail to clean up after their pets, residents beseech dog owners to Doo the Right Thing.

By Ethan Mannello and David Villano

Like many Center Grove residents, Ronald Roth loves the neighborhood for its thick tree canopy, balmy weather, and close proximity to a vibrant, walkable village core.

But it’s an imperfect paradise, Roth grouses during a recent Sunday stroll, as he points to a fresh pile of his growing pet peeve: Dog poop.

“It’s everywhere,” Roth says, walking along Matilda Street just west of CocoWalk. “I’ve stepped in it outside my building. I see it all the time when I walk around.”

Roth is not alone. During two recent visits to the neighborhood by a Spotlight reporter, a mounting concern was clearly afoot, with residents more than eager to share their complaints.

“For the sake of the community, the poop in the area is getting ridiculous,” said Matt Buser, pushing a stroller and holding a dog by its leash while walking along Virginia Street. “As a fellow dog owner, I understand it’s annoying, but we all need to be more responsible and take care of the streets.”

Roadside Attraction: A Business Blooms in Center Grove

Nimal Samuel and his family operate J.J. Orchids from the front yard of a tiny home on McDonald Street.

By Christopher Pearson

Nimal Samuel was 33 years old in 1999 when he left his small village in Sri Lanka to join his mother, who had emigrated to Coconut Grove in 1985.

Industrious by nature, he worked jobs at the former Gardner’s Market and Greenstreet Café while saving money to bring his wife and daughter to the United States.

Soon after purchasing a modest home with a big backyard at 3140 McDonald Street in 2011, Samuel made a decision that would have profound consequences for his family – he would launch his own business selling orchids in front of the family home and hope for the best.

“I come from a tropical country and have always liked nature,” he explains. “I also liked the idea of having my own independent business, something that would make people happy. I saw someone selling orchids and I decided I wanted the same thing for me.”

Thoughts on Permitting Process for Tree Trimming or Removal?

City officials are proposing changes to Miami’s tree protection ordinance. Among the outcomes they hope to achieve is a less costly, streamlined process for residents and property owners to trim or remove trees.

The Spotlight is keen to hear your experiences with obtaining permits for tree trimming or removal – or the consequence for the failure to do so – in Coconut Grove and other Miami neighborhoods.

Can the process be improved? In what ways did city staff — and the policies they implement – fall short of your expectations?

Send your comments to [email protected]. Please 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