SESSION WATCH
THE BILL ITSELF

HB 1559

Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami-Dade County

VERSION H 1559 Filed · BACK TO THE SUMMARY · OFFICIAL RECORD

underlined language is being added; struck language is being deleted. Line numbers are the Legislature's own — the same ones amendments cite.

1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to the Coconut Grove Playhouse, Miami-
3 Dade County; providing legislative intent; requiring
4 Miami-Dade County to transfer the existing property
5 interest in the Coconut Grove Playhouse to the Town of
6 Bay Harbor Islands; providing duties of the town;
7 providing an effective date.
9 WHEREAS, the Coconut Grove Playhouse is a historic and
10 cultural landmark of the State of Florida, significant to Miami-
11 Dade County and to the people of this state, and
12 WHEREAS, the State of Florida, through prior conveyance,
13 placed restrictive covenants and preservation obligations upon
14 the Coconut Grove Playhouse property, requiring its continued
15 use and protection for public, historic, and cultural purposes,
16 and
17 WHEREAS, the Department of Environmental Protection has
18 issued directives to Miami-Dade County regarding the
19 preservation and stabilization of the playhouse property, and
20 WHEREAS, in a letter dated March 1, 2019, the Division of
21 Historical Resources of the Department of State found that the
22 county's plan to demolish the playhouse structure and restore
23 two exterior facades would be inappropriate and inconsistent
24 with state and federal preservation standards, warned that
25 demolition could lead to removal of the property from the
26 National Register of Historic Places, and, citing s.
27 267.061(2)(b), Florida Statutes, recommended that the county
28 evaluate feasible alternatives, and
29 WHEREAS, despite negative evaluations of its plans, Miami-
30 Dade County has argued that its lease with this state excuses
31 compliance with directives from the Department of State and the
32 requirements of s. 267.061, Florida Statutes, an argument made
33 in bad faith since the playhouse is owned by this state, and
34 state law obligations cannot be contracted away, and
35 WHEREAS, Miami-Dade County has failed to comply with state
36 directives, has permitted deterioration of the property in
37 breach of its obligations, and has pursued redevelopment actions
38 inconsistent with the public trust and preservation covenants,
39 and
40 WHEREAS, millions of dollars in public funds have been
41 allocated toward preservation and stabilization of the
42 playhouse, yet Miami-Dade County has failed to prioritize or
43 execute such preservation and stabilization, and
44 WHEREAS, it is the duty of the Legislature to safeguard
45 historic assets of this state, uphold public trust, and ensure
46 that public covenants are honored, NOW, THEREFORE,
48 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
50 Section 1. The intent of this act is to:
51 (1) Protect the historic and cultural value of the Coconut
52 Grove Playhouse, Miami-Dade County.
53 (2) Enforce accountability for the state-owned Coconut
54 Grove Playhouse by reassigning stewardship away from Miami-Dade
55 County through a transfer of the property interest to the Town
56 of Bay Harbor Islands, Miami-Dade County, a municipality that is
57 capable of honoring both the public trust and historic
58 preservation covenants.
59 Section 2. (1) On July 1, 2026, Miami-Dade County shall
60 transfer the existing property interest in the Coconut Grove
61 Playhouse, Miami-Dade County, to the Town of Bay Harbor Islands,
62 Miami-Dade County, for the purposes of historic preservation,
63 public use, and cultural benefit.
64 (2)(a) Upon receiving the existing property interest in
65 the Coconut Grove Playhouse, the Town of Bay Harbor Islands
66 shall consult with the City of Miami, the Department of
67 Environmental Protection, and the Division of Historical
68 Resources of the Department of State on feasible and prudent
69 alternatives to the demolition or alteration of the playhouse,
70 as required under s. 267.061(2)(b), Florida Statutes, and on
71 every renovation it plans to perform to protect the historic and
72 cultural value of the property.
73 (b) The Town of Bay Harbor Islands shall, to the maximum
74 extent practicable, use public funds and other funds reserved
75 for the playhouse to:
76 1. Comply with the directives of the Department of
77 Environmental Protection, including:
78 a. Taking preservation actions as a condition of state
79 ownership and oversight.
80 b. Preserving the historic facade, roofline, and
81 architectural integrity of the playhouse.
82 c. Fulfilling obligations under the original state deed
83 covenants.
84 2. Fulfill its contract and fiduciary duty, including
85 complying with all restrictive covenants requiring preservation
86 and building stabilization for historic, cultural, and public
87 use.
88 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.