A second tower is now proposed for Stirrup Plaza
Plus a tree-appeal backlog, a historic cottage sale approved for Ken Griffin, and Thursday s'mores at the branch library.
Plans for Stirrup Plaza in the West Grove have grown again. Related Urban Development Group has submitted a revised proposal that adds a 25-story tower with 402 apartments on South Dixie Highway, diagonally across from the Douglas Road Metrorail station. It would join a 22-story tower planned at Douglas Road and Day Avenue, across from the neighborhood's ALDI. The County Commission approved that first building last year as a 20-story, 345-apartment project called Gallery in the Grove, with 173 below-market apartments and a reported cost of $148 million. The submitted revision raises it to 22 stories and 348 apartments paired with a 7,650-square-foot public library, and the expanded project would include 811 parking spaces. The number of subsidized apartments in the revision has not been disclosed, and it remains unclear whether the changes require another County Commission approval or would move forward under the Live Local Act. (Coconut Grove Spotlight)
Tree-removal appeals are piling up at the preservation board
Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board spent more than eight hours on eight tree-removal appeals before a crowd of more than 100 people. The city received a single tree-removal appeal in all of 2025 and has taken in at least 14 between January and the July hearing, a jump that pushed the board from monthly to twice-monthly meetings. The board dismissed the Ziggurat appeal after finding the appellant lacked standing, continued three appeals until September and granted one involving an oak on Irvington Avenue. A separate Coconut Grove appeal was deferred by the City Commission until September 10. (Coconut Grove Spotlight)
A 121-year-old Brickell cottage is sold, with a Grove move proposed
The Miami City Commission has approved selling the 121-year-old Jackson Medical Office in Brickell to billionaire Ken Griffin for $2.98 million. The sale is the first step in a proposed deal that would move the building to Coconut Grove and later transfer its title to Dade Heritage Trust. The trust says it has identified a Grove site for the relocated structure but has not disclosed where it is. The physical relocation still requires approval from Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board. The commission's vote covered the sale, not the move itself, so the building's future address in the Grove is not yet public. (Coconut Grove Spotlight)
A local swimmer is chasing the English Channel
Shenandoah resident Christine Coppola has an August 19 to 26 weather window for a second attempt at swimming the English Channel. She estimates the 21-mile crossing will take about 14 hours in roughly 60-degree water. Coppola has already completed the Catalina Channel and the 20 Bridges Swim around Manhattan, and a successful crossing would finish the open-water Triple Crown. She trains at the Shenandoah Park pool on weekdays and in open water on weekends, and her family belongs to Coconut Grove Sailing Club. The attempt depends on conditions within that window. (Coconut Grove Spotlight)
Macedonia's Freedom School wraps its third summer
Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church has completed its third annual Freedom School, a free six-week summer program in the West Grove that enrolled 50 K-12 students. The sessions combined Black history, literacy, STEAM, music, field trips and enrichment, with average daily attendance running 20 to 30 students. A first major grant of $5,000 from the Miami Dolphins Foundation helped cover materials and activities. Construction at the church is expected to add dedicated classrooms and a media room for next year's program, and organizers are exploring transportation support for families traveling back to the Grove. (Coconut Grove Spotlight)
County weighs a 30-day cap on overnight anchoring
Miami-Dade County legislative matter 261278 proposes limiting overnight anchoring in incorporated and unincorporated county waters. Under the proposal, a vessel could not remain anchored for at least one hour between half an hour after sunset and half an hour before sunrise on more than 30 days in any six-month period. Time in a marked mooring field and overnight anchoring for permitted marine construction, installation or maintenance would be excluded, and the ordinance provides for civil penalties and other enforcement remedies. It remains proposed legislation and is not yet law. (Miami-Dade County)
Campfire Tales & S'mores at the Coconut Grove branch
The Coconut Grove Branch Library hosts Campfire Tales & S'mores on Thursday, July 30, 2026, from 4 to 5 p.m. at 2875 McFarlane Road. The digital campfire program pairs s'mores with campfire stories for children ages 5 through 13, and families are asked to bring a favorite blanket or sleeping buddy. Registration is open online. The branch phone for questions is 305-442-8695. (Miami-Dade Public Library System)
Backpack Bonanza at Vizcaya Village on Sunday
Vizcaya Village hosts Backpack Bonanza on Sunday, August 2, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at 3250 South Miami Avenue. The free back-to-school event includes storytelling, hands-on activities, educational workshops and local vendors, and the first 100 guests will receive backpacks stocked with school supplies. The program area can be reached without stairs or by ramp. (Vizcaya Museum and Gardens)