4 replies to this topic

[Shelby68]

I thought Miami leaders had evolved a bit since the days of "if it's old, tear it down" but apparently I am very wrong. I read this morning that a commissioner wants the Coconut Grove Exhibition Center (Dinner Key Theatre to Doors fans) blown up for a stupid cable tv show.

'Burn Notice’ could get extra year in Coconut Grove
By Kathleen McGrory
The Miami Herald
  
The producers of the spy series Burn Notice and Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff have a tentative compromise that would enable the show to film a seventh season in Coconut Grove, the commissioner said Thursday.
Fittingly, it involves a huge explosion. Sarnoff has wanted to tear down the old Coconut Grove Convention Center, where Burn Notice has filmed for the past six years, to make room for a waterfront park.
But the producers begged to stay on the city-owned property, and even offered to spend more than their $240,000 annual rent.

After a tense meeting at City Hall last week, Sarnoff made Burn Notice an offer: The show can stay at the convention center through October 2013 rent free — but only if it demolishes the building at the end of the season and carts away the trash. The demolition, which will cost around $500,000, would have otherwise eaten into the $1.8 million budgeted for the park, Sarnoff said.
Sarnoff said the proposal was “well received.” He envisions the explosion being written into the show.
“How cool would it be for them to blow up the convention center in the last episode?” he said.
The deal must go before the Miami Commission for final approval. It also needs a thumbs-up from the show’s parent company, Fox Television Studios. roducer Terry Miller declined to comment Thursday.
Bob Lemchen, Fox’s head of production, said he was not aware of any deals, but that he was “optimistic” the show and the city would reach an agreement soon.

Burn Notice has yet to be picked up for a seventh season on the USA network, but the producers are hopeful. They reached out to city commissioners last month to begin negotiating an extra year on their lease.
The request met resistance from Sarnoff, who insisted he was ready to move forward with the park. Sarnoff pointed out that the $1.8 million for the project — from grant money and Burn Notice rent payments — had already been set aside, and that Grove residents have been asking for a park for years.
The green space is part of the Coconut Grove Master Plan, which was developed by residents, business owners and city planners between 2005 and 2008. It seeks to open up access to the waterfront with parks and public plazas.
Burn Notice moved into the convention center as the master plan was being created. The television show never planned to stay for seven years, but its producers sought lease extensions each year the show was renewed.
The annual debate between park supporters and Burn Notice supporters has been contentious.
Advocates for the show say Burn Notice has brought coveted film industry jobs to South Florida, and that the cast and crew pump money into the Coconut Grove economy.
Supporters of the park are adamant that the convention center is an eyesore. They also resent the city for renting prime waterfront property to a TV series at such a low rate.
Last week, city commissioners suggested Burn Notice relocate to a soundstage in the Wynwood neighborhood.
But Lemchen said the show was built around filming in Coconut Grove — and threatened to leave Miami-Dade County if the convention center lease was not renewed.
Should the commission approve the compromise, Burn Notice could literally go out with a bang at the end of its seventh season.
“There no downside to keeping this show here for another year,” said Fabio Arber, a line producer for reality television shows who lives in South Florida. “It’s a no brainer.”

[mizscarlett43]

Shelby68, on 03 August 2012 - 12:59 PM, said:

I thought Miami leaders had evolved a bit since the days of "if it's old, tear it down" but apparently I am very wrong. I read this morning that a commissioner wants the Coconut Grove Exhibition Center (Dinner Key Theatre to Doors fans) blown up for a stupid cable tv show.

'Burn Notice' could get extra year in Coconut Grove
By Kathleen McGrory
The Miami Herald
  
The producers of the spy series Burn Notice and Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff have a tentative compromise that would enable the show to film a seventh season in Coconut Grove, the commissioner said Thursday.
Fittingly, it involves a huge explosion. Sarnoff has wanted to tear down the old Coconut Grove Convention Center, where Burn Notice has filmed for the past six years, to make room for a waterfront park.
But the producers begged to stay on the city-owned property, and even offered to spend more than their $240,000 annual rent.

After a tense meeting at City Hall last week, Sarnoff made Burn Notice an offer: The show can stay at the convention center through October 2013 rent free — but only if it demolishes the building at the end of the season and carts away the trash. The demolition, which will cost around $500,000, would have otherwise eaten into the $1.8 million budgeted for the park, Sarnoff said.

Sarnoff said the proposal was "well received." He envisions the explosion being written into the show.
"How cool would it be for them to blow up the convention center in the last episode?" he said.

The deal must go before the Miami Commission for final approval. It also needs a thumbs-up from the show's parent company, Fox Television Studios. roducer Terry Miller declined to comment Thursday.

Bob Lemchen, Fox's head of production, said he was not aware of any deals, but that he was "optimistic" the show and the city would reach an agreement soon.

Burn Notice has yet to be picked up for a seventh season on the USA network, but the producers are hopeful. They reached out to city commissioners last month to begin negotiating an extra year on their lease.

The request met resistance from Sarnoff, who insisted he was ready to move forward with the park. Sarnoff pointed out that the $1.8 million for the project — from grant money and Burn Notice rent payments — had already been set aside, and that Grove residents have been asking for a park for years.

"There no downside to keeping this show here for another year," said Fabio Arber, a line producer for reality television shows who lives in South Florida. "It's a no brainer."

To tell you the truth, I could have sworn I'd read or heard several years ago that the Dinner Key had been demolished already, and I remember wishing I could tell Jim about it because I thought his reaction would likely be sheer delight--you know, "GOOD RIDDANCE to that miserable hole!! "

The events of March 1, 1969 were seminal in Doors history and in Jim's life, but in an almost entirely negative way--it was the beginning of the end for The Doors, and for Jim's time on the planet. Besides, he didn't DO it. He taunted the crowd and pretended he was going to do it, but that was the extent of it.

I've never talked to anyone who was actually there--well, except for Jim himself and we never discussed it--but according to some firsthand accounts there were cops on and around the stage the whole time, and afterwards everybody hung out, drank beer and shot the breeze. Apparently whatever it was that Jim did, it didn't bother any of the Boys in Blue that night, did it?

It was some lying sack of shit "reporter" from the Miami Herald who got the whole filthy depraved moral degenerate ball rolling a couple of days later, and who proceeded in cold blood and with malice aforethought to destroy Jim's life. If that sonofabitch is still on the planet I'm all for demolishing the Dinner Key--as long as he's locked inside.

Finally, have I mentioned that I absolutely LOVE Burn Notice? I cancelled cable 4 years ago so I have to watch it in rerun on one of our local channels--always a season behind--but the two back to back hours of Burn Notice on Wednesday nights are highlights of my TV watching week-- along with Inspector Lewis and NCIS:Los Angeles (on Sundays and Tuesdays, respectively).

But I digress. How's this for a scenario:  I'm assuming Fiona the ex-IRA explosives/demolition expert will be helping Michael blow the place up, so maybe we could have one or both of them say, just as they pull the trigger/push the plunger,

"This is for YOU, Jim Morrison!"

Edited by mizscarlett43, 04 August 2012 - 07:36 PM.

[mizscarlett43]

mizscarlett43, on 04 August 2012 - 12:25 AM, said:

(snip)
Finally, have I mentioned that I absolutely LOVE Burn Notice? I cancelled cable 4 years ago so I have to watch it in rerun on one of our local channels--always a season behind--but the two back to back hours of Burn Notice on Wednesday nights are highlights of my TV watching week-- along with Inspector Lewis and NCIS:Los Angeles (on Sundays and Tuesdays, respectively).

But I digress. How's this for a scenario:  I'm assuming Fiona the ex-IRA explosives/demolition expert will be helping Michael blow the place up, so maybe we could have one or both of them say, just as they pull the trigger/push the plunger,

"This is for YOU, Jim Morrison!"

It occurs to me that another reason I like Burn Notice so much is that I'm convinced the Fiona Glenanne character (played by Gabrielle Anwar) is at least loosely based on the character ("John H. Mallory") played by James Coburn in the cracking good 1971 Western originally titled Duck You Sucker and later re-titled A Fistful of Dynamite, since Mallory is also an ex-IRA demolitions expert, who migrated to Old Mexico--presumably after the 1916 Easter Rising--to take part in the Mexican Revolution of 1910-1920.

Edited by mizscarlett43, 05 August 2012 - 09:59 PM.

[Shelby68]

mizscarlett43, on 04 August 2012 - 12:25 AM, said:

How's this for a scenario:  I'm assuming Fiona the ex-IRA explosives/demolition expert will be helping Michael blow the place up, so maybe we could have one or both of them say, just as they pull the trigger/push the plunger,[/size]

"This is for YOU, Jim Morrison!"

LOL - you know, if it has to be done, that is the least sick-making scenario I guess. Even though the building has a negative association for Jim/Doors fans, it's still a link to the past - to him. I hate to see the old places go.

As for your thinking Dinner Key had already been demolished: some evil overlords in local government have been trying for the last several years to get a large chunk of the funky Coconut Grove waterfront razed so they can set about gentrifying it. "Burn Notice" filming in the CG Exhibition Center gave the place a reprieve -- however long they are there filming, the place will go unmolested.

[mizscarlett43]

Shelby68, on 06 August 2012 - 04:30 PM, said:

LOL - you know, if it has to be done, that is the least sick-making scenario I guess. Even though the building has a negative association for Jim/Doors fans, it's still a link to the past - to him. I hate to see the old places go.

As for your thinking Dinner Key had already been demolished: some evil overlords in local government have been trying for the last several years to get a large chunk of the funky Coconut Grove waterfront razed so they can set about gentrifying it. "Burn Notice" filming in the CG Exhibition Center gave the place a reprieve -- however long they are there filming, the place will go unmolested.

Well, since Burn Notice is one of the few good TV shows left (did I mention I cancelled cable back in November 2008? after 30+ years?) I hope it goes on indefinitely. I'm gonna have to watch Breaking Bad etc. on disc since watching anything online will eat up my 5 gig allowance super fast, and I'm damned if I'm going to pay Verizon any more money than those banditos are already getting...    (I am planning to get DirectTV--or maybe Dish--one of these days...maybe...)

Edited by mizscarlett43, 15 August 2012 - 10:38 PM.