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Coconut Grove Playhouse Still Opposed to Historic Designation City Manager Blames Fire-Fee Scandal on ‘Greedy Attorneys’
By Tiffany Rainey At Tuesday’s meeting of the Cocoanut Grove Village Council, Shelly Spivack, chair of the Coconut Grove Playhouse’s board of directors, finally came forward to calm the fears of residents and council members. Well, kind of. “I can say that once we resolve the issues we’re looking at,” Spivack told the council, “I sincerely doubt that there will be a 10- or 15-story condo there.” Other than saying that the historic playhouse at 3500 Main Highway, built in 1926 as a movie theater but converted for live performance in 1956, will no longer be sold to developers, Spivack was vague about whether the playhouse will continue to appeal the historic designation the city granted it last fall. “I can’t discuss it right now because we’re still trying to find a resolution,” Spivack said. “I do believe we’ll come up with a solution that is equitable for everyone. It’s not our intent to destroy the integrity of the playhouse.” According to Spivack, a “reverter” provision set forth when the state transferred ownership back to the playhouse’s board restricts the property from being developed into anything other than its current use. If the usage does change, ownership will revert to the state of Florida. “We have virtually no historical buildings left. This is basically it,” said resident Jim McMaster. “I don’t know why you wouldn’t want the historical designation. The project you described is wonderful and under the historic designation the city would allow it.” Also speaking on behalf of the theater was Michael Spring, director of Miami-Dade’s Department of Cultural Affairs. Due to the $15 million general bond approved by voters in 2004, the county is intrinsically invested in the theater’s future. “There is currently no developer involved with the playhouse,” Spring said. “The relationship that did exist has been dissolved and I have no knowledge of any projects other than the one to move the playhouse forward.” Other concerns addressed by the council included the effect an extended closing of the playhouse for construction may have on local business, development of a year-round schedule and sensitivity to R-1 developments bordering the playhouse property. “I believe that if we don’t have a thriving art environment in South Florida, we’ll never become a world-class community,” Spivack said. “The people of Miami-Dade County have said that they want a world-class art city and the Coconut Grove Playhouse is part of that.” Last May the playhouse board of directors approved an $8 million deal with Henry Pino of the Strategic Property Group to build a 250-parking-space garage with retail storefronts and 100 condo units on playhouse property. The deal also would have redeveloped the theater into a venue with 650 seats in the main facility and an intimate 250-seat stage area. The playhouse now has 1,100 seats at the main stage and a 135-seat “encore room.” Four months later, as the playhouse celebrated its 50th season, Pino announced he was pulling out of his deal with the theater’s board. Spivack, satisfied with her first appearance before the council, told the SunPost, “The best thing to come out of [the meeting] was the spirit of cooperation it created between the playhouse and the council.” Plans were made to have at least one council member attend future playhouse board meetings. Spivack also agreed to make additional presentations before the council to keep them informed. Another special visitor to the council’s biweekly meeting was none other than City Manager Joe Arriola, attending to hear a report from the Grove’s Tree Watch committee presented by activist Liliana Dones. Taking advantage of his time at the podium, Arriola made fun of his growing reputation as the city’s resident bully and fire-fee scapegoat before gaining additional favor from Grove residents by promising to pursue a $60 million federal grant to restore Bayshore Drive. “I’m glad you told everyone you had [neck] surgery,” Arriola said to Council Chair Marc Sarnoff, who had joked at the opening of the meeting about the brace he sported, “because the way it’s been going, everyone would have accused me of breaking it.” Arriola went on the congratulate Dones on her extensive Tree Watch committee report, which includes plans to place 200 new trees in Coconut Grove with the $300,000 the city manager granted the community in December. The West Grove, an area activists feel is most lacking in canopy, will receive the majority of the planting with 110 designated spots for new trees. “I feel like this is going to be a really good project,” Arriola said to the council and attending activists, “but everyone’s going to be jealous so you better protect me.” In response to the issue of maintenance once the trees are placed, Arriola promised to pursue money to hire outside personnel to take care of the canopy since he felt it was something Public Works would probably not do adequately. “I expect all of you to be there with your support because I’m going to get crap about this,” Arriola said in expectation of the commission’s hesitancy to extend additional funds to Grove trees. The state of Bayshore Drive was another of the many points that Dones brought up in relation to reforestation efforts in the community. “We feel the length of Bayshore should be included, from Mercy Hospital to Peacock Park,” Dones told Arriola. “We want to restore this venerated corridor to its historical scenic designation.” The city manager’s response was an announcement of a $60 million federal grant he hopes will come through by early summer not only to restore the canopy along Bayshore Drive, but also to repair deterioration of the roadway due to the use of sand in paving the corridor. “Bayshore is not an easy fix. It’s not something we can just do tomorrow,” Arriola said. “We need to see what Sasaki [architect for the Coconut Grove Waterfront Master Plan] is going to do and what kind of money I can get. I’m asking you to be patient so I can secure funding.” Rounding out Arriola’s visit were the city manager’s impromptu comments on the bungled fire-fee settlement, which granted only named plaintiffs a share of a promised $7 million settlement and not the rest of the 80,000 property owners who were charged an assessment deemed illegal by the Florida Supreme Court. A memo stated that the $7 million settlement was only for the plaintiffs. City officials, including Arriola, insist they thought they were approving a class-action settlement for all affected property owners. Arriola said the city has gone back to the courts to ensure that the settlement is not just for the plaintiffs. “This is not a conspiracy. We’re the ones going back to give the people the money,” Arriola said. “If we have to pay $28 million, which is the max, this is not the city’s money. This is your money. This is about you getting back money but paying twice as much to get that money back.” He went on to blame “greedy attorneys,” whom he claims will be the only ones to benefit from the situation, for causing a state of affairs that will cost taxpayers lots of money. Arriola’s public statements received no comment from the council or attending citizens. In a lengthy and heated discussion, the Village Council decided to postpone officially announcing its support for paying an estimated $3 million to West Grove residents in return for their support in helping developer Julio Marrero obtain an additional two stories on projects that will occupy six blocks of Grand Avenue. The additional height will require a variance on the current Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD) that only allows for five stories in the community’s historic district.
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tiffany@miamisunpost.com. |
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Covering Miami Beach, North Bay
Village, Surfside, Bay Harbor, Aventura, Sunny Isles Beach, Coconut Grove,
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