Keep the playhouse in one piece
There are plenty of Grovites that don't want 2/3 of the Coconut Grove Playhouse replaced with a shiny new glass and steel structure, garage and condos, especially one designed by Architectonica the Romero Britto of Architecture. We admire Richard Heisenbottle and greatly respect his efforts in restoring historic structures such as the Freedom Tower, Olympia Theater and Historic Pan Am Terminal (Miami City Hall were ironically several Playhouse Town Hall Meetings have taken place). Plenty of Grovites don't desire the further intrusion of Brickell South into our village. Many iconic and much loved European buildings were completely restored after wars and the Grove Playhouse deserves the same. If we don't have the will to do so, then simply demolish it and turn it into a pocket park (without a fenced in dog area) with a memorial sign celebrating the Coconut Grove Playhouse's past glory. Gratitude goes out to Miami Dade County Commissioner Xavier Suarez for his efforts in supporting the total restoration of the Playhouse. Earlier this month he arranged an overflowing Town Hall that included Florida Lieutenant Governor Carlos Lopez-Cantera. Cantera is a Grovite and deeply cares about the restoration of the Playhouse.
At the meeting he publicly chastised MDC for not fulfilling their leasing obligations for the use of the Playhouse. He said they are required to completely restore it and submit their plans within specific deadlines. Since they have failed on both accounts it seems they are in default of the lease and in our trust. Perhaps it's time for Carlos Lopez-Cantera to take back the Playhouse and find a better solution with a more understanding and cooperative partner.
Sincerely
Harry Emilio Gottlieb
Coconut Grove
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posted by Tom Falco at 4:00 AM
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6 Comments:
Perfect!!! and to the point thank you for your support.
Fellow Gorvite
Great letter Harry, just what most Grovites feel about the Playhouse.
Just don't understand why it takes soo long to get this accomplished. Just restore the damn Playhouse and lets get on with this while we are all still alive to see it finished.
Amen, save American history, God bless America.
In the 1950s George Engle, an oilman, bought it and spent over $1 million (equivalent to $47 million in 2017) in renovations having the architect Alfred Browning Parker convert it to a live theatre.[2] It reopened on January 3, 1956 with the US premiere of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot, starring Bert Lahr and Tom Ewell.
THANK YOU WIKIPEDIA FOR THE ABOVE INFO
I would like to see a Wednesday night concert at the Playhouse every week to kick off the rest of the weekend parties in Miami. The party started in Coconut Grove and it shall for eternity.
Please show up at the January 8 county commissioners meeting to support preservation of the whole historic playhouse, not just the box office.
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