Photos: Partial Collapse at Coconut Grove Playhouse Threatens Historic Structure

Several Coconut Grove streets are closed Friday evening as crews work to stabilize the structure of the Coconut Grove Playhouse, which saw a partial collapse Wednesday after a scheduled demolition went awry.

City officials told the Miami Herald “a contractor’s error…’severely compromised’ the historic structure’s roof,” and that “engineering assessments determined the theater’s front wall facing Main Highway was rendered unstable and posed ‘a serious risk of collapse.'”

In a statement, Stacy Miller, the newly appointed director of the Department of Transportation and Public Works, said portions of Main Highway and Charles Avenue will remain “closed until next week for the safety of pedestrians and motorists.”

New Times food editor and Grove resident Nicole Lopez-Alvar scoped out the scene and found TV news crews, curious residents, police, and contractors surrounding the playhouse, which is nearly a century old but has been vacant and in disrepair for almost two decades. Despite road closures and fencing, the damage is visible from the street.