Miami looks to transform grove waterfront

Tag: coconut grove

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz unveiled a proposed master plan Monday that could transform one of the spots where the city got its start -- the Coconut Grove waterfront, a potential jewel but today a mish-mash of boating facilities, asphalt lots, parks that don't quite connect, and historic City Hall.

Only one of the publicly owned Grove waterfront's many deficiencies: It's hard to see the water.

So one of the first steps in enacting the plan will be getting rid of the largest obstruction -- the Grove Exposition center, a white elephant best known as the place where Jim Morrison was arrested for allegedly exposing himself during a Doors concert.

The plan must still be approved by the City Commission, which is set to consider it July 24. The city's waterfront advisory board will decide on its recommendation Tuesday evening.

But three years of planning and public hearings persuaded city officials that the money-losing Expo Center must go. Demolition should happen early next year, said City Manager Pete Hernandez.

"We will have a waterfront where we can see the water," said City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, a key supporter of the plan whose district includes Coconut Grove. "What a novel concept in Miami."

The plan represents several hard-won compromises among city officials, planning consultants and often-contentious Grove residents and waterfront users initially skeptical of city intentions. It encompasses the area from Peacock Park adjacent to the Grove village center, north to Kennedy Park, as well as South Bayshore Drive, which would be redesigned to be greener and more pedestrian-friendly.