Redevelopment Coconut Grove Playhouse 

Redevelopment

4/26/2005  

Oscar Pedro Musibay

Officials of the Coconut Grove Playhouse are in negotiations to sell the theater to a developer who would demolish the 81-year-old landmark building to redevelop the site.

The playhouse board, which got title to the property from the state of Florida last year, wants to sell the property to raise money and build an endowment, said Holland & Knight partner William Bloom, a member of the board of directors and the attorney representing it in the sale of the property.

A new theater would be built on the property as part of any deal, Bloom said.

Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael B. Chavies, who also sits on the
playhouse board, confirmed that a redevelopment plan was in the works but declined further comment.

The plan is sure to be controversial with Coconut Grove residents who have successfully fought off many developments they feel threaten the character of the Miami neighborhood. The theater has been a cultural centerpiece of the Grove since it was built in 1924, but it has not been designated a historic site.

The plan marks the third time in two decades that theater officials have sought to redevelop the site, but it is the first time the theater's demolition is part of a proposal.

The theater, which in 1956 hosted the U.S. premiere of Samuel Beckett's "Waiting for Godot," would be replaced by a new theater, a garage, condos and retail space on Main Highway, Bloom said.

"It's built out of sea sand, so it's cheaper to build a new theater than to try and renovate the existing building," Bloom said.

Sources who asked not to be named said the theater company is in final negotiations with a developer, but they would not name the company.

Bloom said there have been discussions with several developers, but he declined to provide any details about the negotiations.

"The plan is to bring in a developer to develop a portion of the site, and we would have a parking lot and a new playhouse on the site," Bloom said. "The whole idea here in selling the property is to use the proceeds to create an endowment for the playhouse."

Bloom said the developer who buys the property would create a master plan for the whole site, but the playhouse would own its own building and a 250-space garage, which would serve as a revenue source. The developer would own a garage, about 20,000 square feet of retail space and would be able to develop condominiums on the site.

"The playhouse in the end will own the garage that serves the playhouse, and will own the playhouse and the land where the playhouse stands," Bloom said.

Coconut Grove Playhouse chairman Mitchell R. Less, of Grant Thornton, did not return several calls seeking comment.

Coconut Grove residents have historically been militant in defending the character of their neighborhood against development. They are in a battle against Home Depot to prevent the home improvement giant from opening a store in the Grove.

Historic preservationists reacted with concern upon learning about the plan to demolish the theater.

"Oh, God! What a mess," said Armando Gutierrez Jr., vice chairman of the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board. "That should have been designated historic a long time ago, but because of political factors, it hasn't been. It's a shame that there is the possibility of us losing it to a developer who would tear it down to build more condos."

"It's truly a landmark, not only to Miami but to the Grove," he added. "I graduated from high school there."

The city has not designated the building historic and currently has no plans to, said Luciana Gonzalez, spokeswoman for the city's Planning Department.

Attorney Tucker Gibbs, who represents residents in the fight against Home Depot, said playhouse officials picked a bad time to propose the redevelopment. Gibbs said that it's "like pouring gas on the fire," referring to the Home Depot fight.

"The Coconut Grove community in general would be horrified with any building above five stories," Gibbs said.

Gutierrez said he understands the playhouse needs to attain financial stability, but he hopes there is a scenario that would involve preserving the building with the help of the city of Miami.

"With [the theater's] following, I don't see why it would be a problem," Gutierrez said.

The 2.3-acre site at 3500 Main Highway houses the 50,470-square-foot theater and a 200-space surface parking lot. It also has an empty storefront at the southwest corner of Main Highway and Thomas Avenue, which is known as the "bicycle shop."

The theater property was conveyed to Coconut Grove Playhouse LLC last July. Deed restrictions could curtail any development plans for the site.

Bloom said the state would have to approve the construction of anythingother than a theater on the site. He also noted that the theater's board of directors would have to approve any plan to redevelop the property.

State Sen. Gwen Margolis helped playhouse officials secure $5 million in state money to renovate the building, which is in disrepair. Another $15 million is coming from Miami-Dade County's general obligation bond, which passed in November and is dedicated to helping support parks, arts and culture.

Coconut Grove, known since the 1960s as a hippie enclave, became a trendy residential neighborhood in the 1990s, partly on the strength of CocoWalk and Mayfair retail-entertainment complexes.

Its rise as a hot spot was soon eclipsed, however, by the emergence of South Beach. But Coconut Grove has remained highly desirable for residential development.

There are several projects under development in the Grove, including Ugo Columbo's 32-story, 151-unit luxury condo Grovenor House.

Grove Gardens, a five-story condo and townhouse project, is planned on the site of historic Taurus Restaurant, another seemingly untouchable Grove landmark, where units are priced as high as $1.5 million. Zoning for the condo has been approved.

A developer made a run in the late 1980s to redevelop the playhouse site.

Playhouse officials were in negotiations in 1989 with a developer to
build a garage and retail on the site. That deal fell apart.

Ten years later, Coral Gables-based attorney and real estate investor Manuel Alonso-Poch was negotiating with playhouse officials to build a garage and hotel on the site. The controversial plan sparked protests from area residents. That deal had died on the vine by 2000.

Alonso-Poch said neither plan suggested knocking down the theater because the idea was sure to spark fierce opposition and because playhouse artistic director Arnold Mittelman wouldn't consider it.

He said he was surprised to hear the demolition of the building was part of any plan to redevelop the site.

"He couldn't close the theater down for a year because he would have to close it forever, that's what he has always said," Alonso-Poch explained.

Mittelman did not return several calls seeking comment.

Copyright © 2005, ALM Properties, Inc.

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