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Miami Mayor Francis Suarez Vetoes Controversial Coconut Grove Playhouse Demolition

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Miami Mayor Francis Suarez wants to save the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse as it stands now and vetoed a plan Friday to renovate the building, which has been closed for years.

Coconut Grove Playhouse
Coconut Grove Playhouse as seen on Jan. 9, 2018 (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The Miami City Commission approved the plan on May 8, which called for saving the façade but demolishing the large auditorium in favor of a smaller one that seats 300 people instead of 1100.

Mayor Suarez announced Friday that he is issuing his first veto on a City Commission decision.

""For the first time in my tenure as mayor since November of 2017, I have decided to exercise my veto over an action of the city commission," he announced at a news conference. "The overriding and the overarching factor is preserving one of our most historical and precious assets in the City of Miami."

 

The Mayor tweeted out, "I have officially vetoed the decision endorsing the plan to demolish the #CoconutGrove Playhouse, possibly removing it from the National Register. I look forward to working with the community to properly preserve this historic jewel."

Commissioner Ken Russell, whose district includes Coconut Grove, opposed the Commission plan as well saying demolishing the theater would cause the playhouse to lose its status with the National Register of Historic Places. Commissioner Keon Hardemon also opposed the plan.

Under a complex agreement with the state of Florida, which owns the playhouse property, Miami-Dade County also wanted to tear down the larger auditorium and replace it with a smaller freestanding theater in order to be financially viable.

The Coconut Grove Playhouse was once the center of the Miami theater scene. The historic landmark opened Jan. 1, 1927 as a movie theater. The 1,130-seat theater closed in 2006 due to financial woes.

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