Spotlight 240625 Valet, WELL house, SMART

In the Spotlight,

Are Valet Parking Services making it more difficult – and expensive – to park in the Grove?
Miami Police charge a murder suspect in the June 19 Grove shooting.
A local design/build team completes the world’s first WELL house.
The START program celebrates 10 years of student achievement.

Also new this week: We’ve added a new comment tool at the bottom of each story to allow you to react to our reporting in real time. The new feature and our letters section amplifies your voice. Let us know what you think and find the latest Spotlight reporting anytime on our website.

No Parking: Valet Stands Stir Debate Over Access to Curb Spots

Grove business owners believe valet parking attracts well-heeled customers, but some residents bemoan the loss of coveted on-street parking.

by Francisco Alvarado

Valet parking stand on Commodore Plaza.

When Susan Silver drives the few blocks from her home into Coconut Grove’s business district to dine, shop or run errands, the prospect of parking puts her on edge.

More often than not, she says, she circles the village core – Virginia Street, Grand Avenue, Commodore Plaza, Main Highway – and the only open curb spots are those cordoned off for use by private valet contractors.

Arrest Made in Wednesday’s Fatal Coconut Grove Shooting

by Don Finefrock

Miami Police have made an arrest in connection with the fatal shooting this week of 57-year-old Christopher Jones on Douglas Road in Coconut Grove.

Albert Antown Sistrunk, 38, of 14721 Polk Street in Richmond Heights, was arrested Thursday and charged with murder in the second degree with a weapon and felony drug possession.

For Grove Duo,
Health is Where the Home Is

Single-family residence is world’s first to receive new industry certification for promoting health, well-being and climate resilience.

by Hank Sanchez-Resnik

The world’s first WELL-certified residence in the Silver Bluff neighborhood of Miami. (Photo courtesy of Caplow Manzano, Inc.)

To environmentalists, LEED is an important acronym. Established by the U.S. Green Building Council, an international network of architects, developers, and planners, it stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. The Council, established in 1994, lists 197,000 LEED projects worldwide.

Move over LEED and make way for WELL.

West Grove Program Lifts Student Achievement

The Striving To Attain Remarkable Teens (START) program celebrates its 10th anniversary this summer.

by Hannah Spense

Two START students show off their artwork. (Photo courtesy of Sabrina Wilkinson)

Inside a storefront on Grand Avenue in the West Grove, a beautiful mural greets visitors who walk through the door and enter the nonprofit START program. The painting features an outdoor aesthetic adorned with trees, butterflies, and sea creatures.

The mural is right on point for today’s program. Volunteer Sabrina Wilkinson is leading a student enrichment program focused on Brazilian-born artist Romero Britto. She chose Britto for his colorful, accessible style, and she’s hoping his art strikes a spark.