Mark Burns, Executive Director, Coconut Grove Business Improvement District (BID)

Invest: spoke with Mark Burns, executive director of the Coconut Grove BID, about the district’s commercial momentum, the opportunities tied to new development, and the work underway to preserve Coconut Grove’s character while improving accessibility. “We’re right on the precipice of some great growth in Coconut Grove,” Burns said.

How has Coconut Grove evolved as a commercial and cultural district over the past year, and how does that reflect broader trends across Miami?

It has been a tumultuous year, but mostly in a good way. We have gotten a lot of attention because of the number of high-net-worth individuals coming down from places like New York and California into southern Miami, Coconut Grove, and the surrounding areas. There has also been some uncertainty in the broader environment, and business owners have told me they are seeing some tightening on the consumer side.

That said, it is not something that feels dramatic on the ground. The Grove is still busy, the business community is still thriving, and we have had new businesses and new restaurants come into the Grove. It has been an up-and-down year, but mostly up. More recently, we are seeing a little hesitation around larger purchases, while people are still going out to eat, shop, and spend time in the district.

How has the BID supported businesses and stakeholders during this period of transformation?

That is what we are here for. We are here to listen, gather information, and try to help. We market the district, we try to boost social media for businesses, and we try to be a resource, but one of the hardest parts of being a business improvement district is getting buy-in from the business community.

Everybody wants help, but we cannot do it all for them. Businesses need to provide us with content and communicate the specific kind of help they need. That takes stepping back from the normal day-to-day routine and engaging with us. As I am coming up on my second year here in Coconut Grove, one of my main focuses has been expanding involvement from the business community, because that is who we are here to support. That means getting out, making introductions, getting people comfortable talking to you, and making sure there is value in what you can do for them.

Where do you see the biggest opportunities for Coconut Grove right now?

Opportunities are abound here. Coconut Grove is the place in Miami where people want to come to live and stay. For as long as I have been in Miami and worked in this area, the Grove has always been one of those places people aspired to move to. It has long had that appeal, and part of that comes from the fact that it is less dense than other parts of Miami. It is more walkable, it feels safer, the speed limits are lower, and it is not quite as congested as some other neighborhoods.

We’re right on the precipice of some great growth in Coconut Grove. We have two developments starting up that are going to be transformative: the Ziggurat project and The Well. We also have the Coconut Grove Playhouse, a historic theater that has been dormant for almost 30 years. Within the last year, after years of litigation and delays, demolition of the non-historic parts has finally moved forward. That is a key project for the neighborhood.

On top of that, we have already seen the impact of major renovations at CocoWalk and Mayfair. Those were difficult periods for the district while they were underway, but now we are seeing businesses move into those spaces and the area is in a strong position. We are happy with where things are right now in the Grove.

Have you noticed growing interest from people who want to live in Coconut Grove, and what is driving that demand?

Absolutely. This work-live-play model is the new blueprint. As property values continue to rise and it gets harder for retailers and other businesses to operate, you are seeing more residential development tied into larger neighborhood centers. People want to have everything in one place, and Coconut Grove is a strong model for that.

We are seeing that in the developments coming online now. These are residential projects with retail on the ground floor, restaurants, and the kinds of features people expect in new mixed-use developments. We are also seeing a mix in the type of housing being added. High-end developments are moving forward, but there is also affordable and workforce housing coming in the West Grove. There is definitely a lot of residential growth happening.

How are tenant expectations and community expectations evolving as mixed-use development continues to grow?

There is a constant balancing act between what residents want and what developers want. Residents want to preserve the neighborhood and keep traffic and density from getting too intense. Developers, understandably, want to maximize the value of their properties.

It is a give and take. Coconut Grove still does not have the kind of density that many other Miami neighborhoods have, even though it is increasing. As more people want to live here, there has to be some growth, but the community pushes back when it feels that growth goes too far. For the most part, developers do listen. They understand the community, the infrastructure needs, and the concerns people have. The benefit for Coconut Grove is that we are close to Brickell, downtown, and other dense parts of Miami, so businesses can still benefit from proximity to those larger markets while operating in a neighborhood that feels more balanced.

What are the biggest challenges Coconut Grove is navigating right now around accessibility, affordability, and infrastructure?

Accessibility is the biggest one, especially traffic and parking. Everybody wants to park right in front of the place they are visiting, and as density increases, parking does not necessarily keep up with it. That is why the Playhouse project is so important. It includes a parking garage with more than 300 spaces, and that is going to be a major benefit for the area.

That garage will sit on the western edge of the business district, and it should help both visitors who are willing to park and walk a couple of blocks and valet operations that need somewhere to put vehicles. It is going to be transformative for the Grove, and we are doing all we can to help push that project forward as quickly as possible.

How are you balancing Coconut Grove’s historic character with new development and mobility needs?

That is always a challenge, and a lot of that falls to policymakers and local government. On our side, one thing we are proud of is a transportation service that is about to launch as a partnership between the BID and our City of Miami District 2 Commissioner Damien Pardo. It is called Circuit, and it is essentially a last-mile transportation option within Coconut Grove and to nearby transit hubs.

The idea is that people can park a little farther away and use the service to get directly to their destination. That becomes especially important because the Playhouse site currently has about 100 parking spaces, and those will go away during construction. We wanted this transportation option in place before that happened, and it looks like that is going to come together. We are excited to get it rolled out and hear what the community thinks.

What are your top priorities for the BID over the next few years?

The priority is to continue fostering relationships with businesses, both the ones that are already established and the new ones that are coming in. We also want to encourage more cross-pollination among businesses so they are capitalizing on each other’s audiences and working together more effectively.

This is a small neighborhood and the business community is not huge, so it comes down to being out there, being personable, and helping create a great experience when people come into the Grove. Our focus is to keep the neighborhood clean and safe and keep the momentum moving forward.