Grove Isle, the gated island enclave just off Coconut Grove prized by residents for its tranquility and panoramic bay views, has been less than tranquil lately.
The close-knit, well-to-do high-rise community, which boasts some of Miami’s leading lights among its members, has been roiled by a developer’s plans to demolish the island’s upscale, if dated, club and hotel facilities and replace them with even more luxurious condominiums and amenities — a project that residents say would disrupt those cherished water vistas and their low-key version of paradise.
The storyline is not by itself unusual as developers scour every last bit of Miami’s waterfront for opportunities to build amid an overheated luxury condo market, sometimes bringing them into conflict with residents of long-established neighborhoods. What is uncommon is that Grove Isle’s affluent residents appear able and willing to take a deep-pocketed developer, with millions of dollars on the line, to the mat.