HOME | CALENDAR |  33133 STORE |  AD RATES
Welcome to the Grapevine

News you can use. - Sunlight is the best disinfectant

Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Welcome to the new Grove

Don't let the blue sky and pretty trees fool you. This corner of Coconut Grove is horrible.

I took these photos in the daytime because at night both corners are pitch black at our main intersection in Coconut Grove. The former Johnny Rockets site is just rotting there in the dark and now the corner of the Engle Building is dark at night. Across from the Engle building, Coldwell Banker closes after hours and that one center triangle is totally black. The only light coming onto the area at night is from car headlights. CocoWalk sheds some light but not a lot. We need activity on these corners. 


YOU MAY NOT LIFT THE PHOTOS & TEXT. IT'S COPYRIGHTED INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. YOU CAN HOWEVER SHARE A STORY ON SOCIAL MEDIA BY USING THE LINKS HERE.
For linking to this one story, just click on the time it was posted & just this story will open for sharing - only through social media. Not copying and pasting.

14 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

How about a Real story about Johnny Rockets? What happened to that? How come it's "better business" to keep many places like this, shut down, zero rent income, for years?

They either have too many properties and money, or they don't know what they're doing. Last I checked, 10 dollars per month is worse than 100 but better than nothing for years.

May 20, 2015 10:38 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Really? This is what passes for journalism these days? Nothing is being reported here! Tell the story about why these buildings are empty. It's because the owners are in collusion with the City of Miami to change the character of Coconut Grove and build taller buildings in these locations. It's so obvious, but everyone is afraid to talk about it. Buh-bye groovy Grove.

May 20, 2015 11:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How do human brains come to these types of conclusions? 1st there's the old Grove. 2'd, there's the now Grove. Then something about Mark Sarnoff, big money, lackeys, them vs. us, buildings are empty, property owners are stupid, greedy, etc., etc., etc. Couldn't it be the we're in transition, and maybe some of the building's will be replaced by taller ones, this and that will change, the marina has been improved and made deeper for larger vessels, the convention center is gone, new high rises are being built, roadways are improving, Metro-rail stops 4 times about the Grove and new money is coming to our community. Old Grove, new Grove, it's still our Grove and from what I see I'm looking forward to see this new Grove rise into the sky as I return to Seminole boat ramp after a pleasant peaceful day on our Bay. Jobie Steppe

May 20, 2015 1:39 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh there's that bay! Almost 20 feet of it to be seen on that ramp, take your pictures as you slowly drive by!

May 20, 2015 5:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Oh there's that bay! Almost 20 feet of it to be seen on that ramp, take your pictures as you slowly drive by!

"20 feet of it". Our Bay spans Key Biscayne, parts of S. Miami Beach, the mainland Florida down past Card Sound Road and East to Elliot Key, Sands Cut, the feather-beds and is full of lobster, stone crabs, snapper, grouper, crystal clear water to the Southeast and so much, more, more and more. And all your mind can encompass is "20 feet of it"? You poor, poor soul!

May 20, 2015 10:00 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think that one flew right over their head. Our bay is obviously big, what the commenter meant was that the views to the bay are obstructed. I don't even live in the grove and I know that

May 20, 2015 10:15 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

@10pm... Glad you have a helicopter or a boat to see it, and a cheap map, dumbo.

May 21, 2015 8:40 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

guess what, Grapevine? Panther Coffee is opening next week. Shift your complaints elsewhere...

Here's an invite for ya:
https://www.facebook.com/events/561994717276202/

May 21, 2015 9:50 AM  
Blogger Brian Breslin said...

I would love to start seeing rational analysis of the situation. Johnny Rockets probably couldn't compete, their business all over the country isn't doing great (they were on undercover boss a year ago), that location was too small too acommodate a profitable business (though it would make a great coffee shop location if it expanded to absorb smoothie king).

At the end of the day it comes down to the following issues: some of these locations/properties made sense in the 1980s or 70s when they were built, but don't work in today's business environment. How can we expect to work a modern business with yesterday's economic structure. That corner of the engle building is going to be lit back up very soon when panther opens and harry's opens, and I'm sure they will find a better tenant than the coming/going of the bikini shop and art gallery that was in the corner location.

I just wish we had more transparency in this community. Also if everyone is so up in arms, why don't they suggest things that might work?

May 21, 2015 11:06 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Johnny Rockets was rumored to have their rent jacked to an absurd amount that a place that sells cheap burgers could never meet. The other corner featured a store that sold "boutique" clothes...after taking over from a company that failed doing the same thing.

It is no secret they want to tear down the Johnny Rockets block and build it up. Would be horrible. No secret this is a plan for a lot of the Grove. Brickell South is underway, it is why they are doing the road construction, so they can put in the proper pipes to handle these large buildings.



May 21, 2015 11:56 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

No, these building are empty because the city doesn't have enough staff to issue permits. It takes 4 months and tons of red tape to do anything. Instead of blindly blaming building owners, reach out to your commissioner and ask why isn't this permitting process made easier so that business can open.

May 22, 2015 12:18 PM  
Blogger Tom Falco said...

That is not true anonymous, I just came from lunch with someone who works at the PointeGroup. Those storefronts are empty because the businesses that were there refused to pay the new inflated rents. Period.

May 22, 2015 1:55 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

How much is it the rent?

May 22, 2015 4:50 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

Is their a salon there? How much is the rent?

May 22, 2015 5:00 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home