Coconut Grove’s Ace Theater Placed on National Register of Historic Places
Photo via Google Street View.
The Ace Theater in the West Grove, which was built in the 1930s and one of the few movie theaters to cater to Miami’s black community in the intervening decades of segregation (Real Deal says it was the “only” one in the ’50s, which doesn’t sound quite right. For one thing, the Olympia had a black section.) has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places following a campaign by its owners, longtime Coconut Grove residents The Wallace Family. Following the designation, the Wallaces plan to preserve and restore the theater as a multi-use entertainment venue, taking advantage of tax credits and transferable development rights to make the project more appealing to investors. Although a similar project championed by many Grove-ites, the restoration of the Coconut Grove Playhouse, has been dormant for years, frustrating some people who see the similarities between the two, the restoration of the Ace could be absolutely fantastic for the West Grove, Miami’s oldest black neighborhood, and for the preservation of Miami’s black heritage as a whole.
Alfred Browning Parker’s Sublime ‘Woodsong’ House Has Hit the Market
The famed postwar architect of many of Miami’s most striking subtropical homes, Alfred Browning Parker designed and built this Coconut Grove house, which he called ‘Woodsong,’ for himself in 1968. A series of pavilions bisected by a serpentine lap pool, deep in the Coconut Grove hammock, Woodsong sings. Since being owned by Parker, the house has traded hands a number of times, and yet it is, incredibly, still in absolute mint condition. The only weak spot might just be the kitchen. Although that space appears to have been sensitively updated, very standard-looking appliances and non-custom cabinetry from Home Depot or somewhere just don’t do justice to the quality of this house. Located on 3003 Seminole Street, Woodsong was listed twelve days ago for $2.75 million.
Flying Around Grove at Grand Bay
Grove at Grand Bay. Photo by Sean McCaughan.
Who can remember cruising down Brickell Avenue when they were kids, or at least with their kids, and looking for ‘the building with the hole in it?’ Because of how unusual a hole in a building was, and its feature role in the opening credits of Miami Vice, the Atlantis Condominiums designed by Arquitectonica reached worldwide iconic status. Flying around Grove at Grand Bay by drone, designed by Bjarke Ingels, it’s obvious that this pair of buildings may achieve the same fame with their own architectural trick. They twist, and it’s fantastic.
Grove at Grand Bay is only a few months away from completion. The last unit still available is the massive penthouse in the south tower, with six bedrooms, a spa, private pool, wine room, library, media room, two home offices, study, etc. etc. It’s listed for $25 million.
Almost Sold Out, Two Park Grove Begins Concrete Pour at 2 AM Tonight
The tower in the middle is Two Park Grove.
Up late and in the mood for a show? The foundation pour for Two Park Grove, starchitect Rem Koolhaas/OMA‘s first residential tower in the United States, is beginning at 2 AM tonight and will continue until 4 PM tomorrow. The first of the three Park Grove towers to begin construction (so… Rem Koolhaas’ first, second, and third residential towers in the U.S.) Two Park Grove is being co-developed by the Related Group and Terra Group, and is about 97% sold out (with pricing starting at $2 million). According to the press release 2,600 cubic yards of concrete will “lay the foundation for an elevated 3-foot deep concrete slab at its core that will support the faceted tower columns…This pour requires four pumps and the labor of over 100 people placing up to 400cy/hour.”
Miami Condo Investments Free Mobile App Available for Download on iTunes and Google Play
For those new to the website, or those who might be unaware, Miami Condo Investments has its own mobile app. It is free and available for download on iTunes, for the iPhone and iPad, and on Google Play, for all Android mobile devices. I released the iPhone version back in December 2009 and followed it up with the Android version about two and a half years later in May 2012. I may be a bit biased, but it truly is an amazing app. In many ways, the real estate app was ahead of its time when I released it in 2009. It still remains as powerful as ever, though, and I personally use it on a daily basis. In fact, I recently made the jump from using an iPhone to an Android phone, and it was the first app I downloaded.
I would love to hear your thoughts and feedback on the app. I am hoping to release an updated version sometime in 2014 and welcome any ideas for it that you might have.
Update: We recently launched our new and improved mobile app called Condo Hunter – now available for iOS and Android.
Shane Battier Lists Coconut Grove Home for $1,895,000
Just weeks after winning his second NBA Championship, Miami Heat Forward Shane Battier has listed his Coconut Grove home for $1,895,000, according to hothothoops.com. Battier purchased the five bedroom, Mediterranean-style home for $1.6M a little over a year ago in June 2012. The 4,300 square residence is situated on an 8,000 square foot lot and features a 2-car garage, covered patio with adjacent pool, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen with walk-in pantry, downstairs office and master bedroom with his and her walk-in closets.
Battier’s contract with the Miami Heat is set to expire at the end of next season but rumor has it that he is upgrading to a luxury home in Miami.
Coconut Grove Waterfront Home Sells For $13.4M
A 7 bedroom/8 bath waterfront home in Coconut Grove sold last week for $13,419,495. The estate, located at 3500 Curtis Lane, resides on approximately 2 acres of land with an 11,000 square foot main house, a 4,400 square foot guest house and enjoys 300 feet of water frontage. The property includes a lit clay tennis court, a bayfront infinity edge pool, a private boat dock, an oversized air conditioned garage, a Boffi kitchen and a 2,000 square foot master suite. Truly, a beautiful home!
