Will You Vote For The “Grove Bay” Proposal On November 5th?

In a nutshell, the “Grove Bay” Proposal (aka The Harbour in Historical Coconut Grove) will sweep away the Chart House, Scotty’s Landing, and the Coconut Grove Exhibition Center.  In that vast space will be a Shula’s Steakhouse, an unnamed Peruvian restaurant, and an unnamed “open air” restaurant.  The developers (Grove Bay Investment Group) will consolidate the outdoor boat facilities, renovate the existing indoor boat storage (the original Pan Am hangars), and add a marine store. They will also create a 17-acre public park, and a 3-story parking garage with ground floor retail shops. And PS, the developers are spending $18mil in private money.

I’m torn! As it stands today that entire stretch of land along South Bayshore Drive (with its unsightly structures) completely blocks our view of beautiful Biscayne Bay. The food at Scotty’s Landing is barely edible, the staff pretty edgy, and to get there you have to walk through boat oil and tar; the Charthouse is as passé as its salad bar.

Three new restaurants sounds great to me (I love Shula’s in South Miami), and I think a 17-acre “centerpiece” park is absolutely wonderful. I can almost be convinced that the 3-story city parking garage is okay – if it is indeed narrow and far back from the waterfront as proposed (and the developers are contributing $5mil for that). Now, in order for it to be far back from the waterfront it would have to be closer South Bayshore Drive, right? And the parking garage plans include 40,000 square feet of ground floor retail shops, so now we have retail stores along one South Florida’s most picturesque streets? The retail stores are the wrench for me – not sure I can vote for that.

To learn more about Coconut Grove or any other community – including Coral Gables, South Miami, Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay, contact Val Byrne with EWM Realty International on www.MiamiRealEstateWorks.com or email at [email protected] or by phone at 305-323-6231. Val Byrne – Working For You!