NEW PARK IN COCONUT GROVE

   It  took twenty years but today, we finally replaced the Grove's decrepit convention center with grass and trees.  For now, they're calling it "Regatta Park", seven expansive acres on Dinner Key. It should be cause for celebration but few attended today's grand opening event.
   There should have been a thousand people enjoying the meandering paths, children's play

area,




 and butterfly garden.    




Heck, even with a live band and free barbecue only 150 showed up.  But those people got to marvel at our beautiful, new, green space.  
They also got to hear our city commissioner, Marc Sarnoff, brag about himself, the park and and his wife. You gotta take the good with the bad.



   
     Our new public space should be on the water but it is separated from the bay by a parking lot and a huge, ugly building. The $3 million Dock Master's Office is big, condo-big.  We went inside and found the dock master, Steven Bogner, relaxing in the "penthouse suite" (on the upper left of the photo). 


    I asked him why his building was three times the larger than my house. He was very nice in explaining that some of the boaters need a place to shower and to do their laundry.  There was going to be a swimming pool but it got cut from the budget two years ago.

  The spikes outside Steve's office keep the seagulls at bay.
    
  You can't always get what you want but we spent twenty years trying to create a big, green space at Dinner Key. We have one now.  Stop by and enjoy it.

Postscript:  The new park is still "undiscovered". I went by a week later on a perfect Sunday afternoon.  There were nine people and a dog enjoying the seven acres of trees and grass.
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