Category: Opinion

At the November 14 Commission Meeting Vice Mayor Anderson presented to the community proposed enhancements  to the Mediterranean Bonus (Med Bonus) which were reviewed and approved unanimously by the BOA, in order to strengthen the intent and purpose of the…

In a heated meeting on October 10, 2023, one that saw the censuring of Mayor Lago, a significant remark was leveled against Commissioner Melissa Castro. The Mayor accused her of unethically conducting business with the City of Coral Gables. At…

The Alfred Browning Parker Foundation for Historic Preservation recently wrote to the City of Coral Gables requesting the involvement of our government in the preservation of the 140 Arvida Pkwy historic property. The email and letter state as follows: Mr. Juan Riesco,…

A recent article mentions Alfred Browning Parker as one of the modernist architects that became famous for his sustainable designs “maximizing shade and airflow and aimed to work with nature.”  The irony is that the story comes at the heels of…

On Thursday, October 19 at 8:30 a.m. the proposed project at the Garden of Our Lord located at 110 Phoenetia Avenue will be presented in front of the Board of Architects for the fifth time. The proposed design remains the…

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for a candid conversation about the state of affairs in Coral Gables, our beloved community. What I’m about to share is more than just facts. This is an “un-masking”. And it’s a passionate plea to…

Melissa Castro is a City of Coral Gables commissioner and a Specialist in Behavior Analysis and Industrial Organizational Psychology. This Opinion Item from Commissioner Castro has been previously published in the Miami Herald and Community News Papers. In April 2023,…

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970. Today, the fight for a clean environment continues with increasing urgency as the preservation and environmental issues have merged as important…

I am sure many Gables Insider readers will recall former Mayor Raul Valdes-Fauli’s 2018 attempt to pass an “assault weapon” ban in Coral Gables.  It failed because several residents— myself included—challenged the Commission and reminded them that the State of…

Antonio Permuy Curator and Art Critic. Antonio is the grandson of Marta and Jesus Permuy As we mark 20 years of Art Basel transforming Miami’s place in the global arts market, it is worth taking this opportunity to acknowledge the origins…