Preserving history
I like the fact that the Village West community got together last week to discuss overdevelopment in the area and the loss of character if this is allowed to happen. This is one of the oldest areas of Miami and it shouldn't be overtaken by new development.
The residents want to keep McMansions and other crap out of the area and I applaud them. High insurance rates and taxes are pushing the locals out and greedy developers are swooping in and taking away the character of the neighborhood.
Historian Arva Moore Parks suggested that making the area an historic district will help eliminate demolition of many structures. Charles Avenue was an example of a street that is important to Miami and Coconut Grove's history and changing the character would be real loss.
The residents want to keep McMansions and other crap out of the area and I applaud them. High insurance rates and taxes are pushing the locals out and greedy developers are swooping in and taking away the character of the neighborhood.
Historian Arva Moore Parks suggested that making the area an historic district will help eliminate demolition of many structures. Charles Avenue was an example of a street that is important to Miami and Coconut Grove's history and changing the character would be real loss.
posted by Tom Falco at 9:11 AM
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22 Comments:
Gentrification is the best thing that could have happened. History tells us that there is no other solution to eliminating the majority of the crime in the Grove.
Few people remember when the West Grove complained about the lack of grocery stores in their neighborhood, and in response, a wellmeaning corporation answered the call and built a supermarket at Dixie and Douglas. It was robbed so often, (multiple times a week), that they gave up after only about 6 months. It sat empty for years until the county bought the building.
Perhaps in 10 to 20 years we won't have petty thieves and robbers on bicycles invading the nearby neighborhoods. We won't have rapists attacking teachers in front of their students at Coconut grove Elementary. Tourists will be able to stop and ask for directions without being "blown away". Coral Gables cops won't be shot in armed robberies. Butchers can retire from their shops on Grand Avenue without being "blown away". Locals, such as myself, can drive down Douglas Road at night, without getting a rock through their window (happened to me, back when I was a liberal and naive). Women can go to the drive through of fast food places on Dixie without being "blown away" (and getting away with it, after 3 hung juries, I might add). Prominent local attorneys can gas up their cars on Grand Ave, without getting shot, for their Rolex (this happened to a criminal defense lawyer, a kind of poetic justice). I could go on and on....
Back in the 1920's , George Merrick removed the entire black neighborhood from the Riveria section of Coral Gables, and deposited them in the West Grove area, Local historians applaud George Merrick for what he accomplished in creating Coral Gables. They don't seem to mention this fact too much.
There are a lot of good upstanding citizens living in the West Grove. But as long as they can't control their kids, boyfriends, and husbands, and the locals are terrorized, I'll continue to feel this way.
Buy the whole neighborhood up, I say.
PRESERVING HISTORY? How about PRESERVING CRIME? I'll take a Mcmansion in my neighborhood over a gun in my face any day.
"The residents want to keep Mcmansions and other crap out of the area".
I think the "residents" should spend more of their time and energy dealing with the fact that their fellow "residents" are murdering innocent people who happen to pass through their neighborhood. The "crap" their fellow residents foist on our neighborhoods, far outweighs the fact they will look at a mcmansion next door.
Get real.
Preserve their community while supporting destruction of other parts of the grove. Did you see th fool representing west grove neighboorhood association on channel 6 last weekend talking about how west grove supports the construction near viscaya? I was outraged.
There is some logic to the West grove supporting the Mercy condos... more part time rich residents to rob when they pass through asking for directions.
The one thing that floored me when I moved to Miami 16 years ago from Chicago is that crime is everywhere, not just in certain neighborhoods. The West Grove is right between the high end Coconut Grove and Coral Gables. At least in other major cities, you know which areas to avoid. Here, you have no chance because they are stalking everywhere. You cannot avoid it!
Leave the black Grove alone. No to McMansions, no to condos.
people like the above poster are what's wrong with this city. They're more worried and upset by developers touching their precious trees and building condos, then they are about innocent people being slaughtered on the streets when they mistakenly take a wrong turn in that neighborhood.
Where's the outrage for the dead innocents?
They should level that entire area. maybe the above poster has some room in his neighborhood for the displaced scumbags that prey on us.
Could someone enlighten me about the teacher being attacked by a rapist at Coconut Grove Elementary?
I remember that attack at the school. It was about 25 years ago. I don't recall if it was Coconut Grove Elementary, maybe Tucker or Carver, but it was in the Grove. I'm trying to recall the details, I remember he came into the classroom, and threatened to kill the teacher if anyone made any noise or said anything. I remember thinking he wasn't derserving to be called a person, but an animal.
Check back issues of the Miami Herald. It was widely reported at the time.
Wow... a lot of hatred in this thread... a little scary. That said, it's an important topic that merrits discussion. I happen to be a West Grove gentrifier of sorts. I bough a little place there a few years ago, lived there for a bit, have rented it out ever since, and plan on returning in a year or so after building an addition to the property. On the one hand, I do believe that it is important to preserve much of the historical character of the area, particularly the bahamian architecture. I also believe that it's important to give the deserving residents of that area an opportunity to stay in that neighborhood via affordable housing options. But I do not consider everyone who now resides in at neighborhood to be deserving. The drug dealers, prostitutes, gangsters, and other criminals can go stratight to hell as far as I'm concerned, and I am ecstatic at the possibility of them being displaced, gentrified, or otherwise gotten rid of. Good riddance! On the other hand, there are a lot of West Grovites (dare I say the majority) that are decent hard-working people whose only crime is not being wealthy. I have a feeling that they would be just as happy to see the criminals displaced as I would. Gentrification is not in and of itself a bad thing. And frankly, it is a natural and inevitable phenomenon. The aim ought to be to dirct gentrification in a way that preserves the neighborhood's heritage and provides opportunity for the decent homeowners of that neighborhood to remain and prosper.
I leave you with this.... Those who wish to preserve history (including myself) must be cognizant of the fact that a central tennant of history is the notion of change and evolution. History is not stagnant, places are not frozen in time, things change, and this is a natural and wonderful part of life. Change will continue to come to the West Grove. This is not a bad thing. Let's harness the change, and make it work for the betterment of the neighborhood and its deserving citizens.
"Eyes on the Street".
Why do West Grove residents and stakeholders not provide the "eyes on the street" that has been used in other cities to deter crime? What permits criminal to exist and prosper? Where is the community outrage? Are the neighbors calling the police with the names of the criminals? Maybe the West Grove needs new residents and new stakeholders?
Can rich developers continue to buy the opinions of so-called West Grove leaders as is so obvious with the Mercy disaster? Write a check, buy an opinion. How does that show leadership?
I can only assume that the "anonymous" commentators are not only NOT BLACK, NOT UNDERPRIVILEGED, and LACKING HUMAN EMPATHY (amongst other things), to be able to pass such bias through judgement on an entire (and very important) area of Coconut Grove.
How dare you!
Rampant over commercialization and blind development is certainly not a viable solution to the crimes against society that you wrongly generalize this entire community of being responsible. There very well may be a few violent wayward souls that reside there, but I can attest that similar wrong doings occur in so-called upper crust hoods...it just doesn't make the news quite as often.
Try lending a hand, instead of the fear and judgement. Keep an open mind. The respectable residents of our West Grove deserve to maintain the integrity of their community just as much as the rest of us! They just need a little help, and a voice.
If you grew up stricken with poverty and racism in the midst of the wealthy prosperous USA - you too may very well turn to crime to sustain your family. Rest assured, I'm certainly not condoning crime, but an understanding of the reasons why this certain area of Coconut Grove is plagued with misfortune should be a wake-up call for us all.
Speaking strictly about the neighborhood (and, yes, wow, lots of hatred in some of the posts) perhaps there is not that much to preserve. I certainly would object to the West Grove being "historical". What i see when I go around there are a bunch of old, run down houses dating to the times when we did not have A/C everywhere, when rooms were small, houses were shoddily built, etc.
It will be a shame to see an entire neighborhood displaced, because, ultimately, it will be. The land is just too valuable to sit there populated by wooden shacks.
However, if residents in the West Grove are serious, I would think revitalization could easily start with a few well placed touches:
1. Cleaning the lots
2. Painting the houses
3. Fixing some of the abandoned properties
4. Remodeling some of the homes
Neighborhoods can be rebuilt and often this is the answer to gentrification
**If you grew up stricken with poverty and racism in the midst of the wealthy prosperous USA - you too may very well turn to crime to sustain your family***
Excuse me?? That is the biggest bunch of BS I have ever read. I did post above (about the west grove supporting mercy) and I am in fact african american. My father lived in a two bedroom shack with his 6 siblings and two parents in one of the most affluent cities in the northeast. they had nothing, and i will tell you what, NO ONE IN OUR FAMILY WOULD EVER THINK OF ENGAGING IN THE TYPE OF HORRIFIC CONDUCT COMING OUT OF WEST GROVE. Race and financial status are NOT AN EXCUSE for engaging in violent crime. Racism is something that unfortunantly exists, but its not driving anyones crack habit.
Additionally, i think many in the west grove are financially unstable, much as most americans, because we are driven to consume and have the best, and do not mamage our finances well.
Next time you drive down grand or douglas look at how many run down homes have a satillite dish. How much does dish tv cost? at least 40$ a month. bad choices.
We have to face facts. This is Florida. Old wood houses do not last unless they are incredibly well built and they are carefully and regularly maintained. Old wood houses in the West Grove were not well built and sometimes they were not well maintained. That means water damage and hurricanes and even developers will come and these homes will be demolished. What will replace them? Who will live in the West Grove?
The above comment from the african american certainly deflated the posters who want to better "understand" the criminals in our midst. So much for the "racist"accusations also. The truth is, the people who made the earlier comments about the vicious criminals in that area were speaking from their own experiences, or their reaction to what they witnessed or read about. We are all products of our experiences. I'm sure that Mrs. Lincoln's and Mrs. Kennedy's views on gun contol hardened after they had their husbands brains splattered all over them.
The posters who labeled some of the victim commenters "racist" or lacking human empathy should be ashamed of themselves. Until you've stood in their shoes, you shouldn't be so smug about your views.
But, putting the criminal issue aside ans getting back to the intended subject, I think that Coral Gables had the right idea about urban renewal in their part of that area. They tore down the tenement apartment houses on Dixie, they tore down the shacks and replaced them with affordable small houses that were designed by Architectonica, who donated their services. They turned vacant lots into beautiful, well landscaped and maintained parks. Look at the beautiful walls, columns and entrance features they installed all along Dixie, along with a 30 foot parkway of well maintained grass.
Whatever criminals came from the apartment projects and shacks moved away. Good upstanding citizens moved into the new housing, and took pride in their neighborhood.
You don't need any signs to tell you when you are leaving the Coral Gables section of this area and entering the city of miami.
This, to me, is a good solution. The solution of the blogger who set up this blog should not be objecting to developers who while understandably are making a buck, but are also leading the way to a better life for all concerned.
The new buildings don't have to be the "M" word. In fact, they wouldn't make economic sense, as they all sell for over a million dollars, and that ain't happening there for a long time.
While I think the poster who owns some of these shacks is well intentioned, I don't see any value at all in attempting to maintain some portion of the shack in their remodeled and expanded rental premisis. Perhaps it would be prudent to ask some of the people living in these shacks if they think they are worth prerserving.
I mean really, we're not talking about Frank Lloyd Wright here.
To the commenter who referred to the "wayward souls", were you by any chance on one of those juries who refused to convict the guy who murdered the young lady in the drive through?
In response to the anonymous comment above.... "While I think the poster who owns some of these shacks is well intentioned, I don't see any value at all in attempting to maintain some portion of the shack in their remodeled and expanded rental premisis." As the poster of the referenced comment, let me elaborate. Frank LLoyd Wright these shacks may not be, but they help to tell an important story about the history of this neighborhood and of Miami, and with the residents of this neighborhood being displaced, it's the only piece of that hisotry that will be around at all in a few years. And so yes, I believe that it is important to keep at least some remanants of the bahamian architecture in place to remind future generations of how Miami was born, and given that fact that not many other people care about presevring this history, I am trying to do my part. Hey, no worries, my wife doesn't understand me either. She woudl prfer that I just knock them down as well. Sorry, can't do it. Don't have the heart.
It's not racism. It's reality.
There's a lot of ignorance being posted in here. West Grove has some crime, but this is a feature of poverty and lack-of-education, which are real problems we should be addressing, rather than assuming that gentrification will fix crime. It doesn't fix it, it just moves it around and increases difficulty of life for the poor people being displaced.
We should require that any homes being built hire an acredited architect to create the blueprints _specifically for the site_, rather than simply chosing an arbitrary fenced in duplex from a list of low-cost plans available on a website.
The ignorance is on your end my friend.
Nobody can build a thing in this county without signed and sealed plans by a registered architect. When you disagree with the architecture of something being built, you should look to the owner, because for the most part, architects are totally controlled by their clients, in terms of style, size, and especially cost. Thye "store bought" building plans went out with the Sears catalog.
On the subject of crime, granted that removing criminals homes will cause them to move elsewhere. While that would be of benefit to those of us who have experienced West Grove crime, first hand, and from who still bears the physical scars, I can tell you that yes, that would be my selfish wish.
The answer to crime in the West Grove rests with it's citizens. They know who these people are. they know what they did. often, if not always, it's their son, boyfriend or husband that they police are looking for. While it must be hard to turn in your own family, there must be pressure put on these punks. When I was growing up, if I crossed the line, I paid the price. Nobody let me get away with a thing. It instilled a sense of responsibility for my own actions.
Thye solution to this will be in the home, and that is the point that most of the posters who talk about misunderstood wayward souls miss. It's not racism to talk about ridding a neighborhood of crime, even if it means knocking down their shacks and apartments. I am just fed up, and apparently I'm not alone in my views.
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