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Coconut Grove
Waterfront
THE COCONUT GROVE WATERFRONT MASTER
PLANNING PROCESS
The Coconut Grove Waterfront Area and
Spoil Islands (commonly known as Dinner
Key) is a coastal area that encompasses
Peacock Park and Dinner Key to Kennedy
Park, including the islands and
anchorages. This coastal area is the
waterfront heart of Coconut Grove,
Miami.
Work for the Coconut Grove Waterfront
Master Plan started in November 2005
with a series of meetings to collect
input from stakeholders in the area
including residents, merchants,
restaurateurs and other residents who
have an interest in the Coconut Grove
waterfront area.
The City of Miami envisions creation of
a coastal recreational park that
emphasizes human scale, public open
spaces, and connectivity for pedestrians
through waterfront promenades, open
spaces, an active park with spoil island
connections that will enhance the park’s
recreational and environmental elements.
The master plan area comprises the
upland owned by the City, zoned park and
recreation, with some bay bottom
including inner and outer mooring fields
under both state and city deed
designation, and several spoil islands.
The existing landside components of the
site include historic Miami City Hall -
home of the first Pan American Airways
international terminal in the United
States; the Coconut Grove Convention
Center facility and surrounding large
parking area for show goers; the Dinner
Key Marina, dock master area and parking
lots restricted to boat owners and
guests; Seminole Dock with a public boat
ramp and trailer parking area
administered by Miami Parking Authority;
Myers Park; the Coconut Grove Sailing
Club site with a building, parking area,
boat storage, inner mooring field, and
dock area; Peacock Park, a waterfront
park including a large multiuse open
grassy area, a NET office, and skate
park; and Kennedy Park, also an active
waterfront park.
The Coconut Grove waterfront, mooring
areas and spoil islands are in need of a
Plan that reflects the growth and
desires of the community. The Master
Plan must also address the requirements
of the Florida Department of
Environmental Protection (FDEP) to
complete an overhaul of the inner and
outer mooring fields to comply with an
agreement between the City and FDEP to
clean up the bay bottom, mooring fields
and derelict vessels. The spoil islands
included in the area are in need of
rehabilitation. They need to be cleared
of exotic plants, replanted with native
species and have areas redesigned for
public access. The City has been working
with the Army Corps of Engineers,
Miami-Dade Department of Environmental
Resource Management (DERM) and FDEP to
formulate this plan.
In July 2005, the architecture and
planning firm Sasaki Associates Inc. was
selected through a request for
qualifications process to create the
Coconut Grove Waterfront Master Plan.
KEEPING THE PLANNING PROCESS PUBLIC
The Coconut Grove Waterfront Working
Committee was formed by the Quality of
Life Committee, an organization of
Coconut Grove residential homeowner
associations and individuals concerned
about maintaining and improving the
quality of life in the Grove, and is
supported by the One Grove Alliance, an
association of Coconut Grove business
and residential organizations. The
committee is composed of residents from
throughout Coconut Grove as well as the
live-aboard community at Dinner Key
Marina.
The mission of the Coconut Grove
Waterfront Working Committee is to
ensure that the Coconut Grove community
is fully informed about the waterfront
planning process and all opportunities
for public participation. The committee
counts on residents’ attendance and
participation in the public process to
ensure that City of Miami staff and
Sasaki Associates are fully aware of the
needs and desires of stakeholders
engaged in the process through which the
Coconut Grove waterfront will be
transformed.
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