Do we want Miami City Hall out of the Grove?
This letter to the editor, titled, "Do Miami a Favor, City Hall -- Get out of Coconut Grove," by Harry Emilio Gottlieb, appeared in the Sun-Post. I actually like having City Hall in the Grove. It seems convenient and we know where to buttonhole the Mayor and Commissioners and I find it easy to pop in on Commission meetings, too. How do others feel?
I do agree with Harry's comments on Stiltsville, first it is condemned and now revered.
There is a saying: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." That's why I like city hall close to where I live.
Here is Harry's letter:
What are the plans, if any, to move something into the soon-to-be-empty Miami Art and Miami Science museums?
What are the plans to move Miami City Hall to downtown where the attention of the mayor, commissioners and department managers are very much needed?
It is a little disingenuous for our City Hall to be located in one of our city’s most affluent neighborhoods, Coconut Grove. Let’s get the government closer to the problems that need fixing.
Perhaps City Hall can find a location closer to downtown. There will soon be empty museums and there are already lots of empty condos.
Then perhaps Coconut Grove can take back our historic Pan Am airport and turn it into a community center and/or restaurant like that of the Red Fish in Matheson Hammock.
It is also a bit ironic that we celebrate the noble Tequesta Indian with a statue on the river after we wipe them off the planet.
Now we are about to design a new Miami Art Museum that is honoring the history of Stiltsville, the unique historic community that our government wanted to totally demolish just a few years ago.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Coconut Grove
I do agree with Harry's comments on Stiltsville, first it is condemned and now revered.
There is a saying: "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer." That's why I like city hall close to where I live.
Here is Harry's letter:
What are the plans, if any, to move something into the soon-to-be-empty Miami Art and Miami Science museums?
What are the plans to move Miami City Hall to downtown where the attention of the mayor, commissioners and department managers are very much needed?
It is a little disingenuous for our City Hall to be located in one of our city’s most affluent neighborhoods, Coconut Grove. Let’s get the government closer to the problems that need fixing.
Perhaps City Hall can find a location closer to downtown. There will soon be empty museums and there are already lots of empty condos.
Then perhaps Coconut Grove can take back our historic Pan Am airport and turn it into a community center and/or restaurant like that of the Red Fish in Matheson Hammock.
It is also a bit ironic that we celebrate the noble Tequesta Indian with a statue on the river after we wipe them off the planet.
Now we are about to design a new Miami Art Museum that is honoring the history of Stiltsville, the unique historic community that our government wanted to totally demolish just a few years ago.
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Coconut Grove
posted by Tom Falco at 7:44 AM
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12 Comments:
100% with Harry !!
MOVE that POS out of here !!
They should be in downtown where all government buildings are located. Get the petition going, post the link, print the tshirts.
It’s a waste of prime property with ocean front. We talk about improving our community and opening our ocean front yet City Hall is smack in the middle of the beauty. They should not be there. If they don’t like downtown cause they feel above that, maybe rebuild the post office to include city hall, or next to water and sewer. I am sure the stink will blend in.
That site should be enjoyed by residents! not politicians.
You know, I never really thought about it, but if I had to choose, I'd rather them up and move City Hall than Shake-a-Leg, and the sailing clubs.
The Pan Am building should be a historical museum the houses historical information, artifacts and photos relating to early Coconut Grove.
It could be divided into sections -one for lectures, one for artifacts & photos, one for significant films, etc.
There is so much historical information, artifacts and photos scattered all over Miami. Photos and artifacts have been collecting dust and growing mold in the Stanley Cooper house for years now.
The Pam Am building is one of the most significant historical buildings in Miami. To use it to house crooked politicians really says a lot about where our priorities are.
I say kick them out now.
I disagree. The Pan Am building is historic and a focal point of the community, Coconut Grove and the larger City. There may be problems with the building being too small to house all commission business but I think the proximity to the people, in a focal point of the City goes a long way to the peoples access to the government. I was there for a few hours last night and not sure I would have been able to make it if relocated downtown (although I would hope that it is equally accessible to the other residents of Miami). Please remember that the City Commission is ours, the peoples, I would not want to see the Commission housed with other parts of the City's Bureaocracy. rather I would want them to remain "independent".
Also, the area is easy to reach, you don't have to deal with downtown traffic and it actually brings people to the Grove, who hopefully will stay and enjoy the rest of the Grove.
city hall downtown? and we would park where?
Probably not realistic because of the local vs federal gov issue but I like the idea of demolishing the post office, build a parking garage with post office and city hall (offices) right in the middle of the Grove business center where it should be. A nice government building in that location would tie in with the area and bring business right into the center of the Grove.
Then the PamAm Building can be turned into a museum with a cafe and views of the bay.
I was thinking of building a cardboard replica of a condo in front of the view from Diaz's office and see how he liked it.
I'm personally indifferent to the question of whether City Hall should stay or go.
But Harry's comment about how "we" wiped the Tequesta Indians off the planet was unhinged. Unless I'm mistaken, the Tequestas died out hundreds of years ago due to their inability to resist European diseases. Unfortunate though it was, "we" had nothing to do with that.
The City Commissions business belongs in downtown Miami - the central point between all of the districts.
Coconut Grove is not the downtown for all of Miami although the City of Miami trys to act like it is since it is the largest tax base and is where all of their salary comes from.
The Grove needs to find a way to be independent and incorporate. We need to take back our village starting with the Pan Am building.
Smirnoff, I mean Sarnoff should do something productive for a change and work on that!
I think City Hall should be downtown. Let the Mayor and Commissioners see the filth and problems every day.
The City Hall should be ''evicted'' from the Grove... The Grove should use the exemple of Key Biscayne and secede from the this expensive and service-less city and from its abusive property taxes... There is a reason for every other house in the Grove to be for sale... Without buyers, unlike Coral Gables and Key Biscayne...
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