City-county battle stalls Coconut Grove Playhouse
After 15 years of delay, the Coconut Grove Playhouse is awaiting a court resolution to a dispute between the City of Miami and Miami-Dade County, which proponents say is the only barrier to the project moving forward. The playhouse, which closed in 2006, already has $23.6 million allocated by the county and a design team led by Arquitectonica and historic preservationist Jorge L. Hernandez.
In the meantime, Miami-Dade Commissioner Raquel Regalado is seeking a conversation with city commissioners to try to settle the case.
“If you continue to support the county’s plan, then I ask that you vote to direct the city attorney to end the appeal and allow the county plan to proceed without any additional debate or any allocation of City of Miami resources,” she wrote to city commissioners in November with no response from them yet.
The City of Miami recently welcomed Christine King as new commissioner for District 5 – she is now commission chairman – and Joe Carollo was re-elected in District 3. At least Ms. King is a new member of the commission who didn’t vote to appeal rule that favored Miami-Dade to continue with the playhouse plans.
“We were hoping that we would get it yesterday [Dec. 29]; we were hoping for an answer to our appeal but we didn’t get anything yesterday, so now we have to wait to see what happens the second week of January,” Ms. King told Miami Today about the case in court.
The county put together a plan and presented it to the community via Zoom that includes restoring the original vintage 1920s theater, including its iconic façade, while demolishing the rear addition but preserving some elements such as the stage and the stucco to be placed in the new building.
The playhouse would be a 300-seat state-of-the-art theater that incorporates the remaining historic elements of the original theater including the original double proscenium arch. A 700- to 1,000-seat theater is not viable as the parking lot can only accommodate 300 cars, Ms. Regalado told Miami Today.
The Miami Parking Authority aims to recoup its investment in building a playhouse garage from parking proceeds. Revenues after the expenses gained from the garage and the office and ground floor spaces are to be dedicated to the operation of the theater.
The county is to be responsible for the theater’s financial viability, while GableStage is to operate and program the theater and, in partnership with Florida International University, is to develop educational initiatives such as internships and even create the first master’s degree in theater offered by a college or university in the county, a presentation of theater plans says.
A theater with more than the planned 300 seats has been one of the most debated issues among residents and authorities, some saying that rebuilding a smaller theater would not preserve the original version of the playhouse. But a larger theater would require a larger site footprint, with taller and bigger buildings occupying the entire site, casting a shadow over neighbors and eliminating the planned Grove-like campus of plazas, paseos, and parks, the presentation from the county says.
“The county is proposing a commercial entity with a small 300 seat theater next to it,” wrote Save the Coconut Grove Playhouse Grassroots Team in a press note. “This does not meet the state or federal standards for historic restoration. Coconut Grove’s heritage needs to be preserved.”
Miami-Dade already has larger theaters, the county’s presentation says. Among them, the Adrienne Arsht Center with theaters of 2,400, 2,200 and 250 seats; the Olympia Theater with 1,567 seats; and the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center with 990 seats. The spaces in the playhouse’s existing historic front building would be designed to host “pop-up” restaurants, breweries and other businesses opportunities, the presentation says.
“We have all the plans ready,” Commissioner Regalado said. “If the City of Miami dropped their lawsuit right now, we would just file our permits at the city [and] we’re done.” Legally speaking, the county has “checked every single box,” Ms. Regalado said, saying that the only thing holding the project from moving forward is the appeal by the City of Miami.
“We cannot let this continue,” Commissioner Regalado said. “An entire generation has missed out on the playhouse because there’s a small group of people who are nostalgic about what it used to be 40 years ago, and that’s not fair.”
Max Pearl
January 12, 2022 at 10:26 am
A “small group of people” are in the way of demolition? FACT—A vast majority of countywide citizens voted overwhelmingly for preservation and restoration of the playhouse. They did not vote for demolition and putting up a shopping center. Read the ballot we voted on. It said nothing about demolishing the playhouse theater. It said “restoration”.
They’ve “checked every box”? What about the City of Miami Historic Preservation Board rejecting their plan because it violates state statutes and because it violates seven Secretary of the Interior standards? What about being notified by the State landlord they’re in violation of the lease? What about the State Department of Historic Resources informing the County their plan violates their rules? What about the County lying about them paying off all the debt to remove the liens against the property and clear the title so they could get on the lease? Stephen Rothenberg is still owed $50,000 for a printing job he did for the playhouse twenty years ago. FACT—the debt was NOT all paid off. Commissioner Regalado better check herself before lying about boxes being checked. And journalists should do some fact checking before telling us boxes are checked.
Carlos de Zayas
January 12, 2022 at 9:33 pm
Can we act like adults, split the difference, and restore the building to house a 600-seat theater? The idea is tonhave plays in the Grove, is it not? Everything else is secondary, then. How many people are going to go to a play alone? A 300 space lot can accommodate 600 people getting there in 300 cars. If not, it isn’t like there aren’t more parking garages within a 5 block walk. Do we really need moreoffice and commercial spaces for rent? Have you looked at the vacancies on Commodore Plaza lately? Why do we need to “preserve” plazas, paseos and parks that haven’t even been built yet? Come on, folks. Build it and they will come.
Maria Cristina Abello
January 13, 2022 at 12:21 am
There’s substantial evidence that shows interests and acceptance of misinterpretation from many when it comes to the decision of the preservation of the nearly 100 year old historic Coconut Grove Playhouse, which has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018 because of unbelievably opposing plans from no other than the persons that are at the forefront of Miamis culture and heritage. Once history is gone, is gone! The County’s plan would destroy the legacy of an important theater and the history and culture in the Grove. It’s incomprehensible that Ms. Regalado is continuing pursuance of a lame demolition project has failed for the last 15 years. It is unconstitutional to permit to turn this magnificent 1200 seat theater into a proposed 300 seat theater that is even smaller than the nearby Coconut Grove Elementary School auditorium. The building has been one contiguous building since the day it was built in 1926. In order to falsely justify Raquel Regalados demolition plan, Michael Spring would like everyone to believe that the architectural fabric, ornamentation, and detail of Kiehnel and Elliott along with that of architect Alfred Browning Parker has been “erased”. It has been proven that the overall building and the auditorium (the largest space in the entire building) contains the Kiehnel detailing that you continuously forget to talk about. Regalado knows very well that in 2004 the vast majority of Miami Dade County citizens voted overwhelmingly to use the $20 million in taxpayer funded bond money to do what the county assured us: a “RESTORATION” project. The ballot item we voted on said “restoration” NOT demolition which is the voters’ mandate and any deviation from that is fraud.
Sherri Peacock
January 13, 2022 at 1:51 am
The county plan does not “restore the original vintage 1920s theater,” it demolishes it! It is time for Commissioner Regalado and journalists to start telling the truth about this project and the motives behind it. Please save the Coconut Grove Playhouse from the county and from Commissioner Regalado’s pop up stores!
Steven Dloogoff
January 13, 2022 at 6:57 am
The county plan is financially and responsibly a plan that will work, and produce a Coconut Grove Playhouse that will last. Enough of the delays, let’s get the Coconut Grove Playhouse moving and open. Steve Dloogoff
Max Pearl
January 14, 2022 at 1:36 am
Mr Dloogoff is repeating the same misinformation about the allegedly “financially stable” county plan. Dozens of theater professionals who are involved in the business of show business have been consulted and all of them have echoed the words of Vic Meyrich, the producing manager of Asolo Theater in Sarasota who said “300 seats is a sure way to put yourself out of business.”. GableStage has never been able to fill its current 150 seats. Rather than repeating the same falsehood, why not substantiate your claim as the opposing side has done? Confer with producers and people who work in “LORT” regional theaters and see what they say. Also, please remember the County LACKS substantial amounts of funding. They are relying on the City to pay for this project. My source is Mayor Suarez who said: “Debunking the County’s plan to “renovate”
the Coconut Grove Playhouse
Dear Residents:
With my first veto as the City of Miami Mayor and the reinstatement of the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board’s decision, we have sent an unequivocal message that historic preservation in our community is imperative.
The County’s plan to “renovate” the Coconut Grove Playhouse has ignited a passionate debate about historic preservation and the future of cultural art facilities in our community. Unfortunately, the County in its proposal has misled our residents and created a false narrative. To clarify the record in this polemical arena and for residents to make informed decisions, I am compelled to debunk these falsehoods.
Falsehood #1: The County’s plan is fully funded at $22 million and ready to proceed immediately. The reality is that the City of Miami, via the Miami Parking Authority (‘MPA’), will shoulder the majority of the financial burden of the County’s plan. Using conservative estimates regarding construction costs, the City of Miami will be responsible for almost an additional $30 million to the County’s project, which will require the issuance of bonds to finance it. When reviewed in its entirety, the County’s plan is short about $21 million. This deficiency will require the County to seek a joint venture with a real estate developer or borrow money, which is not permitted under the current version of the lease and will necessitate an amendment to it approved by the Cabinet of the State of Florida. The County’s proposal replaces a historic structure to a mostly commercial real estate space with an attached subservient theater. As opposed to the advertised $22 million program, the County’s plan is more than $50 million, with a substantial financial contribution from the City of Miami and its residents.
Falsehood #2: The County’s plan spends a substantial amount of funds in the preservation of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. The reality is that the County’s plan spends zero in restoring the Playhouse. The County’s bait and switch is not in conformity with the funds raised by the County’s 2005 bond to restore the Playhouse. But what the County’s plan contemplates is using funds from the City of Miami to restore the Playhouse, which ‘restores’ the façade and destroys the Playhouse.
Falsehood #3: The County’s repeated statements that they are the only party financially supporting the Playhouse theater. The reality is that the City of Miami, via the Miami Parking Authority, is the only party committed to an operational subsidy of the theater. Using conservative estimates, the City of Miami will likely contribute in the first year of operations close to $500,000 and remains committed to an operational subsidy going forward. Unlike the advertised characterizations by the County, the City of Miami supports the theater from both a capital and operational perspective.
Consistent with my veto message, I remain committed to further discussion about the future of the Coconut Grove Playhouse. But we must consider all proposals carefully and understand the real facts to arrive at the best proposal for our crown jewel. I look forward to opening night at the new and renovated Coconut Grove Playhouse. (End of Statement)
Also why are we ignoring the most recent court ruling which OPPOSED the county on the essential points of this case. The April 7, 2021 11th District Court Decision ruled the entire playhouse building has historic significance and must be preserved, not just the facade. Here is an excerpt of what the court ruled:
—-Miami’s decision to grant Historical Designation was based upon multiple factors, including the historical significance of the Playhouse, the architectural design of its original architect, Richard Kiehnel, and architect Alfred Browning Parker’s subsequent 1950s “modernist” restyling of the theater. The 2005 Report also specifically defined “contributing structures” to include the entire theater, not merely the façade.
We find that the Mayor’s veto did not depart from the essential requirements of law.
The County argues that the Mayor relied upon the incorrect law — the criteria in the National Register — rather than the binding HEPB Report from 2005. This argument is factually incorrect in two respects. First, the Mayor specifically relied
upon the correct legal criteria, the 2005 HEPB Designation, which incorporated the report of the Preservation Officer:
“The Playhouse is ‘a signature building reflecting the heyday of Coconut Grove.’ (See City of Miami Preservation Officer 2005 Report.)The HEP Board recognized this fundamental truth and I seek to reinstate that decision.”
Carmen Pelaez
January 16, 2022 at 3:28 pm
The County’s plan has FAILED for 15 years because it does not restore the building. The County’s plan is a MALL with a tiny theater in it. Their ‘business plan’ for that theater is irresponsible and will surely fail. They will demolish 80% of the actual building and it will be taken off the landmark register. The theater will fail because it is no sustainable and the Grove will get a new high-rise.
Enough is enough. There is a better plan out there-once created by people that actually work in the performing arts and not people in bed with developers.
Commissioner Regalado LIED to groveites and supporters of this better plan for months when she ran and she knows she is lying now.
SAVE OUR PLAYHOUSE!
Jenifer Howard
January 17, 2022 at 8:06 am
Shame on Gablestage for accepting this ‘deal’! What legitimate theater company would favor the demolition of a historic theater that means so much to the Grove and its character??? They will forever wear the Scarlet letters of Greed and Corruption.
FIU why don’t you speak up??? You were promised a ‘Regional Theater that would bring clout to the University through its association with a world class historic theater’. You were duped into Raquel’s web of lies; your good name is on this Lease. Stand up for history, stand up for your good name!