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The REAL Story on the "Renovation" of the Coconut Grove Playhouse
February, 25th 2019
Dear Miami Dade Residents, Taxpayers and Voters:
I am pleased to hear from Callie DeHaven, Director of State Lands at the Department of Environmental Protection that Miami Dade County has secured all areas of access to the Coconut Grove Playhouse, and that there is no evidence of vandalism to the interior of the building. Her assurance effectively dispels rumors perpetuated throughout Coconut Grove that appear intended to deceive residents into believing that due to vandalism, there is no other alternative but to demolish our 1926 Playhouse that is on the National Register of Historic Places. I’m equally pleased to hear from state historic preservation officials that the most architecturally significant interior features of the Playhouse are intact and in very good condition, underneath removable layers of plywood, drywall and plaster that were installed during renovations over the years. This clarification effectively dispels the assertion of Michael Spring, the County’s Director of Cultural Affairs, that the significant interior architectural features were somehow magically erased.
A lot of deception has been occurring in Coconut Grove in recent years. In 2009, members of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church discovered that former City of Miami District II Commissioner, Marc Sarnoff, advised church leaders and their Architect, a former Arquitectonica Vice President, on how to lie to the other Commissioners, the Planning and Zoning Board, the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, as well as the general public — to get approvals for their project, which included a demolition permit for the 1912 chapel, which sat on Main Highway, just 600 feet from our historic Playhouse. Today our community is united in the belief that Saint Stephen’s should have led by example, rather than engaging Miami’s most corrupt politicians and developers to set a terrible precedent. The loss of Miami’s first chapel built by northern pioneers, has left a scar on Coconut Grove that will never heal.
The willful abandonment of a building that has stood the test of time, to quench a narcissistic desire for temporary recognition and profit, is a slap in the face of previous generations. To discard the trial, error and labor of those who have come before us, to choose not to preserve a living tradition, is to commit cultural murder. Saint Stephen’s act of defiance, aided by former Commissioner Sarnoff, was the foundation for the autonomy that is robbing Coconut Grove of its cultural identity.
According to community leaders, in 2012 Sarnoff helped organize a campaign called “Give it Back,” which misled the community into believing that the effort was about restoring our Playhouse. This fraudulent campaign was predicated by a presentation at the Coconut Grove Woman’s Club in May of 2011 by Sarnoff and Michael Spring, during which they falsely claimed that the Playhouse is structurally unsafe because it’s made of beach sand. Their crusade was never about giving the Playhouse back to the taxpayers and voters who voted for complete restoration in 2004 (they did not vote for a reconstruction, as Spring contends). It was about leveling our historic Playhouse, and giving the cleared site to FIU to establish a satellite campus for a new bilingual MFA program in Theater Direction, amongst an array of other programmatic activities for other special interests. FIU officials, department chairs and professors have been instructed by the Board of Trustees to not discuss this with anyone, under any circumstances.
The citizens of Coconut Grove are dismayed to learn that former Commissioner, Sarnoff currently sits on FIU’s Board of Trustees Finance and Facilities Committee, which is tasked with providing policy guidance and strategic oversight of real estate type activities. And they are alarmed to hear from FIU affiliates, that Mr. Sarnoff is currently advising Miami Dade County, Arquitectonica and FIU — using the same tactics that led to the demolition of the 1912 chapel — on how to lie to the City Commissioners, the Planning and Zoning Board, the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, and the general public, to get the approvals for Arquitectonica’s design, which includes a demolition permit for our nationally designated historic playhouse.
Coconut Grove is not falling for it this time. Comprised of crushed oolitic limestone and a lime-based cement, the concrete block that was used to build the Playhouse in 1926 is larger, denser, and only gets harder and stronger over time. It has a much longer design life than the block that is manufactured today. The Dade County pine floor joists and roof trusses are as strong as concrete, and they are literally irreplaceable. We can't build with Dade County pine anymore, because it's almost extinct.
A beloved building on the National Register that has already exceeded the design life of nearly all of the buildings around it, including the ones that are proposed to take its place, is worthy of our respect. In less than seven years the Playhouse will be 100 years old, and with proper restoration, it can last another 100 years! Is there deterioration? Yes. And in 2004 the voters of Miami Dade County voted to use their tax money for the complete restoration of their historic Playhouse. They did not vote for a brand new, multiple phase, multistory, mixed-use megaproject to replace their historic Playhouse.
The National Park Service, the entity that listed the entire 1926 Playhouse on The National Register of Historic Places, has precise guidelines for complete restoration. “Deteriorated features from the restoration period will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture and, where possible, materials.”
I have reviewed Arquitectonica’s plans. The repurposed front facade, the only remnant of the original Playhouse — which is a single building, not two, as Spring proports — that I could find in their design, falls extremely short of the guidelines established by the National Park Service for restoration. The reuse of the historic proscenium and certain other interior features would amount to mere shards, fragments, bits, and pieces that have been torn from their original context, resulting in an ironic, mournful display of kitsch. Their proposed promenade and courtyard surrounded by retail space that Miami Dade County is calling a “compromise,” appears to be a recreation of CocoWalk, the indoor/outdoor mall that sat three blocks away, which had such a short design life (less than 25 years) that it’s already been demolished, and is currently being replaced with an office complex that will also have a design life of less than 25 years.
If approved, Arquitectonica’s design (CocoWalk 2.0), along with FIU’s brand new bilingual satellite campus, will sit on the corner of Main Highway and the historically designated Charles Avenue, on the site of the demolished Coconut Grove Playhouse, and will serve as the front door to Miami’s first black settlement. This new conglomerate of buildings will accelerate the gentrification of Charles Avenue, all the way down to the historic Bahamian Charlotte Jane Memorial Park Cemetery and beyond. This community cannot withstand any further loss of its heritage. The required notice sent to the community did not disclose accurate information about the project, and they are unaware of FIU’s plans.
The only reason that a 300-seat theater “room” is in Arquitectonica’s building program at all, is because the deed requires that a theater be located on the property, anywhere, even in the belly of a brand new, steel and glass, multiple phase, multistory, mixed-use megaproject, which by default, requires oversized pilings and footings. And the only way to excavate and drill for those, is to clear the entire site. That's the only reason to demolish the existing historic Playhouse. It's in the way. The intention all along has been to max out the FAR (floor area ratio) in order to clear the way for FIU’s new satellite campus and for CocoWalk 2.0, at the expense of our precious historic cultural resource.
The Coconut Grove Playhouse represents our cultural identity that has evolved over a long period of time. The stories and memories embodied within the building are deeply rooted in the community that shares it. The compulsory urge to reject a building that has stood the test of time in an attempt to create something new is an egocentric impulse to innovate for innovation’s sake and will likely result in a curious and shockingly disappointing outcome, hence the architectural one-liner that Arquitectonica is known for.
It’s safe to say that Arquitectonica’s design does not respond appropriately to its historical context or to the needs of the clients, the taxpayers. The State is the agent tasked with representing the expressed interests of the taxpayers (the clients) who voted for complete restoration of the nationally designated theater. There is no need for compromise. The clients did not change their minds. They just didn’t realize that they were being lied to and taken advantage of. But now they know.
Imagine the grandiosity of the centennial celebration and who the guests may be who arrive to walk the red carpet. Imagine how a fully restored Playhouse will stand out as a beacon of community pride among the deluge of iterations of hasty developments that surround it. Imagine a gateway to the historically designated Charles Avenue that is punctuated with a building that already embodies fame and nostalgia that is impossible to re-create.
The Historic and Environmental Preservation Board only has two mandates — to promote the preservation of the City's heritage by identifying and designating properties of major significance, and closely monitoring alterations to them. Adherence to the standards for restoration established by The National Park Service for the restoration of buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places, such as the Coconut Grove Playhouse, should not be not negotiable. They are why the HEPB exists, and the board members need not concern themselves with anything else. The standards must be applied to the entire Playhouse because the entire Playhouse in on the National Register. With their guidance and leadership, we can restore sanity and set a new precedent — one that respects the rights of the voters and taxpayers of Miami Dade County.
Sincerely,
Melissa Meyer Assoc. AIA LEED AP BD+C
Adjunct Professor Miami Dade College
School of Architecture and Interior Design
Dear Miami Dade Residents, Taxpayers and Voters:
I am pleased to hear from Callie DeHaven, Director of State Lands at the Department of Environmental Protection that Miami Dade County has secured all areas of access to the Coconut Grove Playhouse, and that there is no evidence of vandalism to the interior of the building. Her assurance effectively dispels rumors perpetuated throughout Coconut Grove that appear intended to deceive residents into believing that due to vandalism, there is no other alternative but to demolish our 1926 Playhouse that is on the National Register of Historic Places. I’m equally pleased to hear from state historic preservation officials that the most architecturally significant interior features of the Playhouse are intact and in very good condition, underneath removable layers of plywood, drywall and plaster that were installed during renovations over the years. This clarification effectively dispels the assertion of Michael Spring, the County’s Director of Cultural Affairs, that the significant interior architectural features were somehow magically erased.
A lot of deception has been occurring in Coconut Grove in recent years. In 2009, members of Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church discovered that former City of Miami District II Commissioner, Marc Sarnoff, advised church leaders and their Architect, a former Arquitectonica Vice President, on how to lie to the other Commissioners, the Planning and Zoning Board, the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, as well as the general public — to get approvals for their project, which included a demolition permit for the 1912 chapel, which sat on Main Highway, just 600 feet from our historic Playhouse. Today our community is united in the belief that Saint Stephen’s should have led by example, rather than engaging Miami’s most corrupt politicians and developers to set a terrible precedent. The loss of Miami’s first chapel built by northern pioneers, has left a scar on Coconut Grove that will never heal.
The willful abandonment of a building that has stood the test of time, to quench a narcissistic desire for temporary recognition and profit, is a slap in the face of previous generations. To discard the trial, error and labor of those who have come before us, to choose not to preserve a living tradition, is to commit cultural murder. Saint Stephen’s act of defiance, aided by former Commissioner Sarnoff, was the foundation for the autonomy that is robbing Coconut Grove of its cultural identity.
According to community leaders, in 2012 Sarnoff helped organize a campaign called “Give it Back,” which misled the community into believing that the effort was about restoring our Playhouse. This fraudulent campaign was predicated by a presentation at the Coconut Grove Woman’s Club in May of 2011 by Sarnoff and Michael Spring, during which they falsely claimed that the Playhouse is structurally unsafe because it’s made of beach sand. Their crusade was never about giving the Playhouse back to the taxpayers and voters who voted for complete restoration in 2004 (they did not vote for a reconstruction, as Spring contends). It was about leveling our historic Playhouse, and giving the cleared site to FIU to establish a satellite campus for a new bilingual MFA program in Theater Direction, amongst an array of other programmatic activities for other special interests. FIU officials, department chairs and professors have been instructed by the Board of Trustees to not discuss this with anyone, under any circumstances.
The citizens of Coconut Grove are dismayed to learn that former Commissioner, Sarnoff currently sits on FIU’s Board of Trustees Finance and Facilities Committee, which is tasked with providing policy guidance and strategic oversight of real estate type activities. And they are alarmed to hear from FIU affiliates, that Mr. Sarnoff is currently advising Miami Dade County, Arquitectonica and FIU — using the same tactics that led to the demolition of the 1912 chapel — on how to lie to the City Commissioners, the Planning and Zoning Board, the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, and the general public, to get the approvals for Arquitectonica’s design, which includes a demolition permit for our nationally designated historic playhouse.
Coconut Grove is not falling for it this time. Comprised of crushed oolitic limestone and a lime-based cement, the concrete block that was used to build the Playhouse in 1926 is larger, denser, and only gets harder and stronger over time. It has a much longer design life than the block that is manufactured today. The Dade County pine floor joists and roof trusses are as strong as concrete, and they are literally irreplaceable. We can't build with Dade County pine anymore, because it's almost extinct.
A beloved building on the National Register that has already exceeded the design life of nearly all of the buildings around it, including the ones that are proposed to take its place, is worthy of our respect. In less than seven years the Playhouse will be 100 years old, and with proper restoration, it can last another 100 years! Is there deterioration? Yes. And in 2004 the voters of Miami Dade County voted to use their tax money for the complete restoration of their historic Playhouse. They did not vote for a brand new, multiple phase, multistory, mixed-use megaproject to replace their historic Playhouse.
The National Park Service, the entity that listed the entire 1926 Playhouse on The National Register of Historic Places, has precise guidelines for complete restoration. “Deteriorated features from the restoration period will be repaired rather than replaced. Where the severity of deterioration requires replacement of a distinctive feature, the new feature will match the old in design, color, texture and, where possible, materials.”
I have reviewed Arquitectonica’s plans. The repurposed front facade, the only remnant of the original Playhouse — which is a single building, not two, as Spring proports — that I could find in their design, falls extremely short of the guidelines established by the National Park Service for restoration. The reuse of the historic proscenium and certain other interior features would amount to mere shards, fragments, bits, and pieces that have been torn from their original context, resulting in an ironic, mournful display of kitsch. Their proposed promenade and courtyard surrounded by retail space that Miami Dade County is calling a “compromise,” appears to be a recreation of CocoWalk, the indoor/outdoor mall that sat three blocks away, which had such a short design life (less than 25 years) that it’s already been demolished, and is currently being replaced with an office complex that will also have a design life of less than 25 years.
If approved, Arquitectonica’s design (CocoWalk 2.0), along with FIU’s brand new bilingual satellite campus, will sit on the corner of Main Highway and the historically designated Charles Avenue, on the site of the demolished Coconut Grove Playhouse, and will serve as the front door to Miami’s first black settlement. This new conglomerate of buildings will accelerate the gentrification of Charles Avenue, all the way down to the historic Bahamian Charlotte Jane Memorial Park Cemetery and beyond. This community cannot withstand any further loss of its heritage. The required notice sent to the community did not disclose accurate information about the project, and they are unaware of FIU’s plans.
The only reason that a 300-seat theater “room” is in Arquitectonica’s building program at all, is because the deed requires that a theater be located on the property, anywhere, even in the belly of a brand new, steel and glass, multiple phase, multistory, mixed-use megaproject, which by default, requires oversized pilings and footings. And the only way to excavate and drill for those, is to clear the entire site. That's the only reason to demolish the existing historic Playhouse. It's in the way. The intention all along has been to max out the FAR (floor area ratio) in order to clear the way for FIU’s new satellite campus and for CocoWalk 2.0, at the expense of our precious historic cultural resource.
The Coconut Grove Playhouse represents our cultural identity that has evolved over a long period of time. The stories and memories embodied within the building are deeply rooted in the community that shares it. The compulsory urge to reject a building that has stood the test of time in an attempt to create something new is an egocentric impulse to innovate for innovation’s sake and will likely result in a curious and shockingly disappointing outcome, hence the architectural one-liner that Arquitectonica is known for.
It’s safe to say that Arquitectonica’s design does not respond appropriately to its historical context or to the needs of the clients, the taxpayers. The State is the agent tasked with representing the expressed interests of the taxpayers (the clients) who voted for complete restoration of the nationally designated theater. There is no need for compromise. The clients did not change their minds. They just didn’t realize that they were being lied to and taken advantage of. But now they know.
Imagine the grandiosity of the centennial celebration and who the guests may be who arrive to walk the red carpet. Imagine how a fully restored Playhouse will stand out as a beacon of community pride among the deluge of iterations of hasty developments that surround it. Imagine a gateway to the historically designated Charles Avenue that is punctuated with a building that already embodies fame and nostalgia that is impossible to re-create.
The Historic and Environmental Preservation Board only has two mandates — to promote the preservation of the City's heritage by identifying and designating properties of major significance, and closely monitoring alterations to them. Adherence to the standards for restoration established by The National Park Service for the restoration of buildings that are on the National Register of Historic Places, such as the Coconut Grove Playhouse, should not be not negotiable. They are why the HEPB exists, and the board members need not concern themselves with anything else. The standards must be applied to the entire Playhouse because the entire Playhouse in on the National Register. With their guidance and leadership, we can restore sanity and set a new precedent — one that respects the rights of the voters and taxpayers of Miami Dade County.
Sincerely,
Melissa Meyer Assoc. AIA LEED AP BD+C
Adjunct Professor Miami Dade College
School of Architecture and Interior Design
The Little Chapel by the Sea
Demolition of Saint Stephen's 1912 Chapel
Miami Dade County Historic Preservation Board Resolution on Historic Preservation
