Renovate rather than replace the Grove Playhouse

 Here are a couple of renditions of the Coconut Grove Playhouse and what they could look like without demolition. These are by architect Richard Heisenbottle's office. He feels that the whole Playhouse can be saved and not just the front portion.

As you can see the proscenium and arches and whole layout would remain the same in Mr. Heisenbottle's plans.

I've spoken with residents about the Playhouse and the major concern seems to be the amount of seats. Many feel that less is more and that too many seats will hinder success. I believe there are a little over 1100 seats now. The favored plan by many brings it down to 300 seats and I might agree if the Playhouse wasn't there already with the 1100 plus seats.  But even with the seat count, I get the impression that most locals would like the Playhouse to remain as-is, and not replaced, but renovated.

Lowell J. Kuvin, attorney for  Barbara Lange and Katrina Morris, two Coconut Grove residents who are appealing the recent HEP Board decision, says, "I think what is most important is to preserve the Playhouse (the original) with as few material alternations as possible which would of course include removing many of the insensitive 'renovations' and correcting the neglect it has suffered over its lifetime."

Mr. Kuvin feels that the HEP Boards meeting on May 2, shows the HEP Board wants to do the correct thing – "amend the historical designation of the Playhouse to expressly include the interior as 'historical.'"

"It was a shame that the County attorney and Michael Spring both decided to speak and to advocate for Miami-Dade County even after they were both fully aware that the April 4, meeting of the HEP Board’s decision to issue a Certificate of Appropriateness was under appeal. While they were not under a 'duty' to inform the appellants, it certainly showed bad edicate to not pick-up the phone or to email them or their attorney (me)," says Mr. Kuvin.

He went on, "The County attorney made several 'legal' arguments which I believe are inaccurate, such as that the City of Miami is foreclosed from amending the historical designation because the County has spent vast amounts of money in  architectural drawing based upon the idea that they have already been granted permission to demolish the Playhouse, albeit, not the front faced and lobby. All the County has done in the way of architectural drawings is to add blocking and stacking to several layouts of the property."  

This is Heisenbottle's vision of the exterior.