Home Depot Update

It is almost 3 years since Coconut Grove neighbors united in a grassroots effort to stop and ultimately scale back the Home Depot project.

Through the difficult struggle, much has been accomplished:

• the size of the store has been scaled back nearly 50%
• the canopy trees on the property have been saved
• the grocery store has remained.

Initially, Home Depot planned to take over the entire Grove Gate Shopping Center with a 133,000 sq. ft. "big orange box" and eliminate the grocery store.

They then designed a 125,000 sq. ft. two-story building with a multi-level parking garage with plans to remove over 100 trees on the site.

They were finally forced to retrofit the K-Mart store which has minimally impacted the Grove as far as traffic and truck deliveries.

These are the tangible results acheived through the efforts of The Grove First, the Coconut Grove Village Council, and the community at large. Marc Sarnoff, former Chairman of the Village Council and now Commissioner in District 2, Sue McConnell, and Mel Meinhardt were visible leaders in the effort from the start. We showed our strength and unity through the Council and homeowner groups which supported our neighbors living adjacent to the property. Most importantly, we have shown passion and steadfast determination to preserve the quality of life that makes the Grove so special.

A lawsuit is pending against the City for not following its own laws in requiring Home Depot to apply for a Class II special permit, giving proper notice to the residents, and for allowing a C2 industrial warehouse in a C1 light commercial zoning district.