Rumors, lots of rumors
There are so many rumors that go around town, I guess if you mix and match a few, some of it can be true. I get emails all day long with conspiracy theories. I just thought it would be interesting to post some of them here. If any of it is true, it would be nice for someone to send the actual proof of these theories.
The word around town about the Expo Center is that the reason they want to throw Burn Notice out and knock it down and turn it into a park is to accommodate the new Grove Grand Bay condo that is going in across the street. The rumor is that the folks there are getting their own private park, like Gramercy Park in New York, where only residents get a key.
I don't see this because by the time the condo is built there is more than enough time to install the park. Ground hasn't even been broke yet, the old Grand Bay Hotel is still standing. So if that was the case, there would be time for Burn Notice to film the seventh season and be gone by the time the park is needed for the Grand Bay condo across the street.
Another rumor is that this is to be the new Bayside-type site. That the RFP's were thrown out at Scotty's and the Chart House because the third place winner for the project was to win the whole deal and eventually build a huge Bayside complex there. But since it didn't work out like that, everything was thrown out to accommodate those that were promised the land. The way they got neighbors on their side was to start a rumor about building condo's on the site, which would block the existing views of the condos across the street. To get the condo owners on their side, they were told, "OK, we won't put in a condo, how about a two story mall?" And to protect their precious view of Sailboat Bay, the condo dwellers agreed to not fight the Bayside-type complex.
Another rumor is that the whole reason for the Coconut Grove tree project, which is part of the streetscape project is to make all that money using the Silva Cell System, which would cost $7500 per tree, so the more trees that are replaced, the more Silva Cells go in and the more money is made.
So many of these things like the Expo Center park and the Silva Cell system are thought to be political payback for favors, like the new bike path in Kennedy Park was to have been.
This could all be true, but most likely it's all just a bunch of rumors. I mean, why not do all this all over the district or City if it's all a corrupt money-making scheme? Why not put Silva Cells around all the new Midtown projects or the new Brickell parks or put the recycled bike path material in the new parks? Why not offer private parks to all the new condos going up downtown?
As for the Coconut Grove Playhouse, I got this email the other day: "Like many other people and numerous other real-estate-related projects reaching from south Florida to northern Canada, the citizens of Miami will be robbed of the venerable Coconut Grove Playhouse and the historic Stirrup house across the street because these pillars of Miami history and culture are targeted by condo marauders who have already plundered valuable real estate once belonging to others, and succeeded in filling their bags of loot made possible with lies, theft, bribery, and immoral acts."
Is the Playhouse to become a condo now?
It all seems to be just a Coconut Grove thing. Strange as it may seem, the Grove is some sort of guinea pig for all these new techniques. Maybe we're just on the cutting edge of things and we just don't know it!
The word around town about the Expo Center is that the reason they want to throw Burn Notice out and knock it down and turn it into a park is to accommodate the new Grove Grand Bay condo that is going in across the street. The rumor is that the folks there are getting their own private park, like Gramercy Park in New York, where only residents get a key.
I don't see this because by the time the condo is built there is more than enough time to install the park. Ground hasn't even been broke yet, the old Grand Bay Hotel is still standing. So if that was the case, there would be time for Burn Notice to film the seventh season and be gone by the time the park is needed for the Grand Bay condo across the street.
Another rumor is that this is to be the new Bayside-type site. That the RFP's were thrown out at Scotty's and the Chart House because the third place winner for the project was to win the whole deal and eventually build a huge Bayside complex there. But since it didn't work out like that, everything was thrown out to accommodate those that were promised the land. The way they got neighbors on their side was to start a rumor about building condo's on the site, which would block the existing views of the condos across the street. To get the condo owners on their side, they were told, "OK, we won't put in a condo, how about a two story mall?" And to protect their precious view of Sailboat Bay, the condo dwellers agreed to not fight the Bayside-type complex.
Another rumor is that the whole reason for the Coconut Grove tree project, which is part of the streetscape project is to make all that money using the Silva Cell System, which would cost $7500 per tree, so the more trees that are replaced, the more Silva Cells go in and the more money is made.
So many of these things like the Expo Center park and the Silva Cell system are thought to be political payback for favors, like the new bike path in Kennedy Park was to have been.
This could all be true, but most likely it's all just a bunch of rumors. I mean, why not do all this all over the district or City if it's all a corrupt money-making scheme? Why not put Silva Cells around all the new Midtown projects or the new Brickell parks or put the recycled bike path material in the new parks? Why not offer private parks to all the new condos going up downtown?
As for the Coconut Grove Playhouse, I got this email the other day: "Like many other people and numerous other real-estate-related projects reaching from south Florida to northern Canada, the citizens of Miami will be robbed of the venerable Coconut Grove Playhouse and the historic Stirrup house across the street because these pillars of Miami history and culture are targeted by condo marauders who have already plundered valuable real estate once belonging to others, and succeeded in filling their bags of loot made possible with lies, theft, bribery, and immoral acts."
Is the Playhouse to become a condo now?
It all seems to be just a Coconut Grove thing. Strange as it may seem, the Grove is some sort of guinea pig for all these new techniques. Maybe we're just on the cutting edge of things and we just don't know it!
posted by Tom Falco at 11:11 AM
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13 Comments:
What, 4 hours and not a single comment? Where's all that Coconut Grove passion?
Here's my comment for right now. At the end of the day, and at the end of the story, if you take your eyes off the money, you'll lose.
As of today, somebody owes Miami-Dade County 2.9 million in unpaid property taxes on the Grove Key Marina property.
Worry less about what happens to the Convention Center right now, and a lot more about the moves that everybody's pal, Commissioner "Ethics" Sarnoff will try to pull to save Scott Wessel from having to fork over that money.
Punky has screwed a lot of Coconut Grove folks in his quest to get where he's at, and don't think for one single moment that he doesn't have a scheme that he'll try to pull PDQ, to make sure that his pals who expected to be in on the deal flow, get in.
Of course, it will be rougher the 2nd time around, because folks have woken from the snooze.
So don't go back to sleep, because if you do, that pain you feel will be because the screwing you get will be one that you deserve!
al crespo
I left a comment. A pretty innocent comment at that. But it wasn't posted.
How is it responsible for you to be spreading rumors?
Its an honest question.
Guess you don't get that I am mocking the rumors to show that everyone has some explanation for everything that happens around here.
Is it spreading rumors when the very title is "Rumors" and then presenting all that follows as rumors?
Seems to me that Grapevine is reporting what he hears, presents as the hearsay that it is and puts it here so we can all discuss it and/or refute it.
If you have information to edify us and let us know what's really going on I for one would love to listen. :)
Or would you rather we not discuss current eevers?
By putting the information out there Grapevine is actually giving those who actually know what's going on a chance to refute or clarify.
Journalism. It's awesome!
OF
There is a method to my madness. I didn't just fall off the turnip truck.
The property will be used for a charter school named after Sarnoff!
What IS the reason to run a show that employed 15,000 local residents to work over the past five years? Check with the State of Florida Tax Incentive folks. They hire independent auditors to pour over every production's books to make sure they can verify all expenses.
What IS the reason to send a message across the country that Miami proper (or improper) is simply not open for the entertainment business and drag the rest of the state's film industry down with it?
It is not just the fate of one low budget cable show. If you make your living in film & TV, you're about to go under as well.
Whatever the reason, not one soul believes that Sarnoff is tossing Burn Notice in their last year of filming to big a park in the next 12 months.
So what the hell is he doing?
Al Crespo is right. WAKE UP!
Thanks to you guys for being the only Miami press entity that seems to care that hundeds of people stand to be out of work and that they may be able to go to a park - or may not, depending on what you hear. The Miami Herald, as usual, doesn't really care all that much about all of the "Arts." TV out of work folks, apparently do not meet their high journalist - ahem - standards for news.
It appears to be a done deal., Despite the grassroots Internet campaign, there is no press on this thing. And yeah it is biggest than one TV show. Every time South Florida gets a real foot into the entertainment business and a chance to grab some well needed bucks into the state, someone like a Sarnoff comes along and floats like a fly in the ointment of new business, souring it for every one. Thanks to Grapevine for trying!
I'll assume Sarnoff wants Burn Notice out simply because when he and his slimeball partners showed up to demand allegiance and kickbacks, burn notice laughed in his face.
He's a classic small time politician pulling small-town political tricks.
From everything I've read on the Internet, the crew at least will not go quietly during this eviction. News travels fast and back in Hollywood that word is already spreading. The city of Miami doesn't want film production.
i have been hearing rumors, more about business going, i have asked the grapevine about this, a rumor of the cheesecake factory leaving but their manager says they are there to stay, but lately i have been hearing another rumor of Gap leaving within the next few months. but after talking to people who also hear these rumors, many times they are true and many times they are not, but either way i feel that it hurts the area since it gives the impression that people are looking ti move to other areas of miami that are flourishing like brickell or midtown
Tom,
Can you address some of these rumors in a new post? I've heard the one about the Cheesecake Factory closing and there was also one going around about Johnny Rockets also closing. The Gap one is new to me.
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