March 17, 2008
Community Invited To Weigh In On Future Of Historic Coconut Grove Playhouse
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI’S CENTER FOR URBAN AND COMMUNITY DESIGN TO HOST PUBLIC CHARRETTE MARCH 28-30, 2008
CORAL GABLES, FL – (March 17, 2008) Originally opened as a movie house in 1926, the historic Coconut Grove Playhouse long served as the western anchor of Main Highway, the Grove’s popular central thoroughfare, until closing in May 2006 . As part of ongoing planning to reopen the theater, the community is invited to participate in a public charrette March 28-30, 2008. The three-day charrette, which is sponsored by the Coconut Grove Playhouse and organized by the University of Miami’s Center for Urban and Community Design (CUCD), provides residents, businesses, historic preservationists, arts and culture representatives, and other interested community members, with an active way to help re-envision the Coconut Grove Playhouse as a major, regional theater.
“This charrette is a dynamic way to engage key community and cultural stakeholders and the general public in shaping the future of one of the cornerstone institutions of our cultural community,” states Michael Spring, director, Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs.
“The charrette is a significant component of an ongoing process that builds upon the work accomplished by the Coconut Grove Playhouse Board of Directors and the County in stabilizing the theater. It is expected that the charrette will produce a vision report for the site that documents the input from these public sessions and outlines realistic options to return this great theater to Coconut Grove,” said Shelly Spivack, Chair of the Coconut Grove Playhouse Board of Directors.
The charrette’s goal is to provide a blueprint that will ensure that the revitalized state-of-the-art theater complex will serve as one of the nation’s pre-eminent regional theaters - a place where the community’s theater professionals can develop their craft at the highest levels and provide South Florida’s residents and visitors, families and children with the finest entertainment and educational experiences throughout the year.
“Our charrette will serve as a catalyst for returning this iconic site to its glory days. It’s important the public be aware that any plans for the theater developed through this process will respect the history and ambiance of this corner of Coconut Grove and will complement the needs of its residential and commercial neighbors. Due to the breadth of his academic and professional experience in preservation, the Center has invited Jorge Hernandez, former Dean of the UM School of Architecture and a current faculty member, to lead the charrette design team,” notes Sonia Chao, CUCD director.
The Coconut Grove Playhouse charrette will take place at Ransom Everglades School located at 3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, Florida. The General Public is encouraged to visit the Design Team during their work sessions. The charrette schedule is attached. For additional information, please contact the Center for Urban & Community Design at (305) 284-3439 or via email at cmoscoso@arc.miami.edu.
The University of Miami’s School of Architecture is a national leader in the arena of ‘sustainable’ urban design. The School’s Center for Urban and Community Design underlines that strength by collaborating on local and regional planning charrettes. It fosters a collaborative interdisciplinary approach that engages the preservation, creation and retrofitting of communities and buildings; addressing the environment, culture, urban and building design, in participatory planning processes, in the South Florida region and beyond. The CUCD provides academically based community service with the goal of supporting our local community, so the quality of life in Miami-Dade County’s towns, cities and unincorporated areas may further improve and consequently, all can reap the benefits. For more information on the CUCD, visit www.arc.miami.edu/cucd.
The Board of Directors of the Coconut Grove Playhouse is a group of community leaders dedicated to revitalizing this historic theater for the cultural and educational benefit of the entire community. The Board is working closely with the Miami-Dade Department of Cultural Affairs to re-open the Playhouse as a professional regional theater and have it resume its important role as one of South Florida’s major flagship cultural institutions. For more information, visit www.cgplayhouse.com and www.miamidadearts.org
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