{"id":81261,"date":"2025-12-12T19:04:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T19:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/81261\/"},"modified":"2025-12-12T19:04:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T19:04:10","slug":"fuller-street-to-see-major-transformation-after-city-approval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/81261\/","title":{"rendered":"Fuller Street to See Major Transformation After City Approval"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tFuller Street in Coconut Grove will undergo a multi-million-dollar transformation beginning in 2026 by the Allen Morris Company and the city.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar<\/p>\n

Coconut Grove is one of Miami\u2019s most distinctive neighborhoods<\/a>, known for its lush canopy, quirky houses, wonderful restaurants<\/a>, artists\u2019 homes, breezy streets, and an unpolished charm that feels increasingly rare in South Florida. Public spaces matter deeply here, especially Fuller Street, a small pedestrian-only block that has quietly evolved into one of the Grove\u2019s most beloved gathering places. It has become even more popular with the community after the recent openings of Chuggie\u2019s<\/a>, Mae\u2019s Room<\/a>, and Drinking Pig BBQ<\/a>, all within a few feet of one another.<\/p>\n

However, the Fuller Street locals have known for decades is about to enter a new era. According to a spokesperson from the Allen Morris Company<\/a>, a development agreement between the City of Miami and the developer was passed on Thursday, December 11, during a City of Miami Commission meeting, making a plan to redesign the street official. The agreement establishes the framework for redesigning Fuller Street and its neighboring Kirk Munroe Park, with the stated goal of upgrading both into greener, more functional public spaces that reflect Coconut Grove\u2019s established character. <\/p>\n

\"\"An early rendering of Ziggurat, courtesy of Oppenheim Architecture and the Allen Morris Company<\/p>\n

The Allen Morris Company\/Oppenheim Architecture rendering<\/p>\n

What the Approved Plan Includes<\/p>\n

The Fuller Street paseo (plaza) is a central element of Ziggurat<\/a>, Allen Morris Co.\u2019s luxury mixed-use project planned along Grand Avenue, which is currently home to many beloved restaurants that have plans to relocate<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Allen Morris Co. recently secured a $138.5 million construction loan <\/a>from BDT & MSD Partners and BHI to advance the Ziggurat project. Rising on 1.7 acres at Grand Avenue and Matilda Street, Ziggurat will deliver a trophy office building, 18 ultra-luxury residences, and nearly 45,000 square feet of neighborhood-focused retail. Plans also include a rooftop Michelin-chef restaurant overlooking Biscayne Bay, as well as a pedestrian walkway extending from Main Highway through Fuller Street to Kirk Munroe Park, just steps from Coconut Grove Elementary.<\/p>\n

Designed by Oppenheim Architecture<\/a>, the project incorporates pedestrian paseos, a central courtyard, and a major overhaul of Kirk Munroe Park. Groundbreaking is expected in December 2025, with construction on Fuller Street set to begin in summer 2026, and completion targeted for early 2028. Additionally, the Espinosa family, a longstanding and highly regarded family in the Grove that has owned and operated Grove Laundry & Cleaners on the site since 1961, has partnered with the Allen Morris Company on the project. <\/p>\n

Under the approved development agreement, Allen Morris will reimagine both Fuller Street and portions of Kirk Munroe Park in partnership with the City of Miami. The city will contribute $3 million toward the upgrades, while the developer will contribute $2 million, resulting in a total investment of $5 million in public infrastructure tied to the project. However, the plan has sparked considerable debate online and among area residents<\/a>, who feel that the intentions behind the redesign of Fuller Street are primarily financial. <\/p>\n

\"\"The entrance of Fuller Street in Coconut Grove during the holidays in December 2024<\/p>\n

Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar<\/p>\n

A Street With Meaning for the Grove<\/p>\n

Since Fuller Street was closed to automobile traffic in 2020, it has grown into a low-key, humble, and slightly rugged gathering space that many residents associate with \u201cold Coconut Grove.\u201d It is a place where people linger without pressure to spend money, where kids eat lunch, neighbors meet casually, and community events spill naturally into the street.<\/p>\n

Barracuda Taphouse & Grill,<\/a> which anchors Fuller Street, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary with an epic block party<\/a>. Surrounding shops and restaurants, like Chug\u2019s Diner across the road<\/a>, are typically calm, breezy, and easy to navigate. For many residents, Fuller\u2019s appeal lies in its simplicity and accessibility, qualities they worry could be lost as the street becomes more formalized.<\/p>\n

Some residents fear congestion and overprogramming, with concerns that Fuller Street could begin to resemble busier, more commercial districts like Brickell or Midtown. As the street has increasingly been described as the \u201cRoman Forum\u201d of Coconut Grove, a shared civic space, those fears have intensified.<\/p>\n

\"\"A line out the door of Grove Grocer, a tiny boutique grocery store on Fuller Street, which now has a few tables outside<\/p>\n

Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar<\/p>\n

Concerns About Access, Ownership, and Process<\/p>\n

According to reporting by Coconut Grove Spotlight<\/a>, attorney and neighborhood activist Danielle Villoch sees the agreement as part of a broader trend of turning basic public upgrades into amenities for private developments. She argues that both the park and the paseo are being marketed as extensions of Ziggurat, designed to drive pedestrian traffic toward the project\u2019s retail tenants. Villoch has also noted that the developer\u2019s attorney helped draft the development agreement, calling the process lopsided.<\/p>\n

Residents have also raised concerns <\/a>that early design concepts appear to route pedestrians through a retail corridor rather than directly toward Kirk Munroe Park, prompting questions about whose interests the design ultimately serves.<\/p>\n

\"\"A recent event hosted outside of Barracuda on Fuller Street<\/p>\n

Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar<\/p>\n

Local Businesses Offer Optimism as City Resources Remain Limited<\/p>\n

Not all stakeholders view the plan in a negative light. Barracuda Taphouse & Grill owner Lee Kessler <\/a>told the Coconut Grove Spotlight he was encouraged after attending meetings with the developer and residents, noting that he felt the community was being heard. Steve Capellini, co-owner of Atchana\u2019s Homegrown Thai, echoed that optimism while emphasizing the importance of maintaining Grove\u2019s character and ensuring continued community involvement.<\/p>\n

Allen Morris Company CEO Spencer Morris has pushed back against concerns of a land grab. He says design revisions have already been made based on resident feedback and that the development agreement does not grant exclusive control of public spaces. \u201cIf we cannot come to a resolution on the design, then construction is not going to happen until there is some sort of collective agreement,\u201d Morris said. He also noted that he lives in the Grove and wants the community to support the project.<\/p>\n

From the city\u2019s perspective, District 2 liaison Javier Gonzalez has emphasized that the agreement does not finalize any design. All public improvements must still be approved by residents, stakeholders, the Coconut Grove Business Improvement District, and the City Commission. Commissioner Damian Pardo demonstrates that securing private funding for infrastructure upgrades enables the city to close budget gaps and accelerate projects that might otherwise remain unfunded.<\/p>\n

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\"\"A photo taken in November 2025 of the new Ziggurat leasing office, which is also home to Ch\u00e8vre Miami\u2019s newest location inside<\/p>\n

Photo by Nicole Lopez-Alvar<\/p>\n

Ch\u00e8vre Founder Sees Opportunity in Fuller Street\u2019s Next Chapter<\/p>\n

As Fuller Street evolves, new businesses are already beginning to take shape around the Ziggurat project. In an interview with New Times on December 12, Mario Naar, founder of Ch\u00e8vre Miami<\/a>, shared his perspective on the changes ahead.<\/p>\n

Ch\u00e8vre is set to open inside Ziggurat\u2019s leasing office<\/a>, located on the corner of Fuller Street and Grand Avenue, within the next two weeks, following a soft pop-up phase that has included outdoor events on Fuller Street. The collaboration marks a rare partnership between a real estate developer and a restaurant concept, bringing artisan sandwiches, specialty products, and curated wines directly into the heart of the project.<\/p>\n

Naar tells New Times he is optimistic about the planned upgrades to Fuller Street and Kirk Munroe Park. \u201cIt will operate as a full Ch\u00e8vre market with our signature events and chef collaborations,\u201d he explains. \u201cA lot of people are kind of freaked out because they think a big developer is coming in, but they\u2019re doing a lot for Coconut Grove. They\u2019re donating like $7 million to make this beautiful park, and they\u2019re redoing Fuller Street in terms of remodeling it and putting in more trees.\u201d<\/p>\n

Naar adds that the project\u2019s emphasis on greenery and design has been misunderstood by some critics. \u201cYou have all these people who are hating on it, but Allen Morris is doing it the right way,\u201d he says. \u201cIt won\u2019t be a huge concrete jungle. They\u2019re planting all these trees and beautifying the area. It\u2019s a facelift, and it looks great.\u201d<\/p>\n

What Happens Next<\/p>\n

According to a spokesperson for the Allen Morris Company, with the agreement approved, the next phase centers on continued community meetings and design development. The Allen Morris Company and the City of Miami plan to continue gathering feedback before proceeding to permitting and construction, which is tentatively scheduled for late summer 2026. The design of Fuller Street is currently being modified to reflect feedback and requests from neighborhood stakeholders. As a result, no finalized renderings are available to share at this time.<\/p>\n

For now, Fuller Street remains what it has been in recent years: a casual, communal space shaped as much by its people as by its pavement. Whether the next chapter enhances or alters that identity will depend largely on how the process unfolds from this point forward.<\/p>\n

Fuller Street. 3001-3099 Fuller St., Miami.
Ziggurat. 3101 Grand Ave., Miami; zigguratcoconutgrove.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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