Miami-Dade County and its partner Florida International University (FIU) entered into a long-term lease agreement with the State of Florida in 2014 to bring great theater back the Coconut Grove Playhouse. The County approved $21.6 million for the project and authorized an agreement for architectural and engineering services with an outstanding team, led by Arquitectonica and including noted historic preservation architect Jorge Hernandez, renowned theater consultants Fisher Dachs Associates, and expert cost consultants, Venue, a firm specializing in capital cost estimates for theaters. The resulting project is an elegant campus with the historic front building on Main Highway restored faithfully to its 1927 design, a new, state-of-the-art 300-seat theater that incorporates the remaining historic elements of the original theater (e.g., the double proscenium arch, Solomonic columns, etc.), a garage with its facades attractively lined with offices facing Main Highway and the residential neighborhood to the north, and plazas, promenades, lush landscaping and a pocket park. As designed, the Coconut Grove Playhouse pays homage to its architectural heritage and respects the pedestrian nature and village scale of the Grove. The facts on the Coconut Grove Playhouse project are available below.
The impact of a bigger theater
More seats = the certainty of more cost, without the certainty of more revenue.
Leading experts on right-sizing the theater
Other 300-seat theaters in Miami-Dade County
Is a larger theater contemplated?
RESPECTING THE HISTORY OF THE PLAYHOUSE
The historic designation of the property
The history of the site and the new theater
The status of the application for the National Register of Historic Places
Understanding the historic status of the Coconut Grove Playhouse property
YEARS OF PUBLIC PROCESS TO GET TO PROGRESS
The terms of the lease with the State
The selection of the design team led by Arquitectonica
GABLESTAGE – OUR REGIONAL THEATER
How GableStage was selected to manage and operate the new theater
GableStage’s financial viability
GableStage’s rent payments to the Biltmore
A sustainable business plan and updates in progress
The success of the new theater
The type of theater done by GableStage
Other activities at the new Playhouse
Secured funding for the project
Major grant awarded by the Knight Foundation
No County funds to build or operate the garage
Use of funds from the garage development
The fee to Arquitectonica and its design team
Encumbrances resolved on the property’s title
$500,000 grant applied for from the State Division of Historical Resources
Support from the State’s Division of Historical Resources
The City of Miami’s recently approved bond program
Real progress on the Playhouse project
Theater is the main focus of the project
Benefits to the residential neighborhood and West Grove
The existing Playhouse auditorium chamber and a state-of-the-art theater
The modest size of the “commercial” elements for the project
Responsibility for building and operating the garage and related components
Studio theater versus a proscenium theater
NEXT STEPS: RETURNING GREAT THEATER TO THE GROVE
State of Florida Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audit
The Appellate Division of the 11th circuit Court unanimously rules in favor of the County
Public support for the County's plan
How to stay in touch with progress