Conflicting messages
This is how you are greeted at the front of CocoWalk these days. And if you follow them on social media, they are posting things that invite families out for a day of fun at CocoWalk.
But in reality, this is CocoWalk today. While there are a few businesses still open, most of it looks like this. All shops are not open. Most of the shops are in this demolition heap.
This is the sign on the window at Starbucks. They are closed until Friday, when they will open up across the street at their new location at the triangle at Main Highway and McFarlane Road.
This is inside the CocoWalk Starbucks location.
And this is the outside of the Starbucks location, or should I say former location at CocoWalk. Sign down. Closed.
This is CocoWalk for the next few years until the office building is complete and the stores are renovated. If you can of course, shop the businesses that are still there. Bring your hard hat.
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.
17 Comments:
How depressing. Right in the middle of downtown.
Everyone complained about how ugly Cocowalk was before it was demolished. Now everyone is complaining that it is demolished. The updated mall will be an asset to the community. It will bring in offices that will help support other local retail establishments that will be critical to support our local retail ecosystem -- further improving the fundamentals of our Village, quality of life, and walkability. Complain away, but this eyesore is a necessary evil. It'll turnaround in no time. You can't get the sweet without the sour.
All I see is progress!
Horrible
Can't build a new structure without tearing down the old one. Why is everyone complaining?
Eventually that is how the Playhouse will look like
I suggest you stop complaining about progress - not all progress is bad and it just comes across as if you are all against any change. By example, if CocoWalk was such a great shopping destination the owners wouldn’t be investing more money to try and make it viable. People didn’t shop there, if any of you complaining did, you would be complaining about the inconvenience of losing access to specific stores etc. You are not because you didn’t shop there. You are complaining about what it looks like now and what it will look like when it’s done as you walk or drive by it. If they are right we will all have more reasons to shop and eat there but the reality is we are not losing anything. The construction is inconvenient but it is the price we pay for what could become an actual destination vs just a namesake. I for one am hopeful and support the change and look forward to finally having reasons to go to CocoWalk.
I am wondering where I put down progress in this article because people are reading something that is not there.
I was just laughing at all the signs and advertising on social media where are sending people there saying "Open for Business" when right next to it is a sign by Starbucks saying "Closed for Business."
Get over it guys. Stop with the hate.
Just like everything else in Miami...moving and trending to being indoors due to the heat and rain. Classic.
Glad to see your response. I was trying to figure out what the progress/no progress comments had to do with your commentary about the signs.
I thought your photos and comments were hilarious due to the antithesis between the open during renovation sign and what you actually uncovered. Readers took your post too seriously this time but they got to vent!
Not much excitement to be had. They removed the 2 best things there (fat tuesday & duffy's) and replaced it with offices.
Also, half of Virginia Street is closed and the construction workers just help themselves to closing a lane on Grand Ave. whenever they feel like it.
1) CocoWalk was not an ugly shopping center, as far as shopping centers go.
2) Their lack of shoppers is unfortunately common in most of the shopping centers, strip malls & retail in general these days. Heck, Bayside Marketplace is putting in a huge Ferris Wheel & Observation Tower to attract more shoppers.
3) Fixing those problems are gonna be huuuuge. No EZ answers there.
4) This seems like a drastic solution, but maybe it will be for the better. Any info on how the offices at Mayfair's have impacted the Grove?
Yeah, you are correct how silly that anyone would interpret your latest post as being negative. Clearly your always so supportive of change. In your own post from March 08, 2017
“Changes at CocoWalk” you state in surprise to all the negative responses “What's shocking to me is that I am usually the one who doesn't like change around here. But in this case, it seems that people are fed up with too many changes in Coconut Grove.”
If CocoWalk was so "ugly" why is I see groups of people having their picture taken in front of it on a daily basis? Granted it was a little hard to navigate but the first 2 floors seemed very successful.
Some investor or group of investors listen to promoters in China, Europe, Canada or elsewhere hype this & that location as a good or great investment. I talked with a lady about 10 years ago who said she represented a group from Germany interested in the Grove, and perhaps she did. Some folks buy in hook, line and sinker and presto Coco Walk comes down and their investments build anew. I also read once where even if your investment fails you still profit. Wasn't that the last housing bubble? Chinese lost 20-B on that bubble and thousand of people where kicked out of their homes throughout the U.S... Business as usual. Jobie Steppe
Post a Comment
<< Home