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Coconut Grove Metrorail station closed for four‑month renovation; developer to fund upgrades and provide shuttles and freebie service
Summary
DTPW said contractors began demolition Jan. 21 at Coconut Grove station; the developer financing the adjacent transit‑oriented development is funding station improvements and will provide shuttle and on‑demand options while the station is out of service.
The Miami‑Dade Department of Transportation and Public Works began demolition work at the Coconut Grove Metrorail Station on Jan. 21, 2025, and county staff told the Citizens Independent Transportation Trust that a private developer is funding the station’s full renovation.
Javier Bustamante, assistant director at Miami‑Dade DTPW, said crews are removing 40‑year‑old elevator and escalator systems, replacing platform tiles, installing new tactile warnings for boarding, adding two restrooms, polishing stainless steel, replacing glass panels and improving lighting and landscaping.
Why it matters: Coconut Grove is a busy urban station and the county cautioned riders to expect a four‑month closure while the work is underway; DTPW is providing a shuttle between Coconut Grove and Douglas Metrorail stations and the developer will provide a dedicated on‑demand “freebie” option if riders miss the shuttle.
Bustamante said the contractors removed internal escalator components and began tile demolition during the first week; the work is tied to a larger transit‑oriented development adjacent to the station. He said the cost for the station renovation was reported in the presentation as "620,000,0.0" and that the renovations are privately funded as part of negotiations tied to the development. Trust members later and during discussion identified the developer as Terra Group and the project’s construction team as the same contractor that built the adjacent buildings.
Bustamante told the trust that the county insisted on having elevator and escalator equipment on site before closing the station, and that the goal is to complete the renovation and reopen the station in roughly four months. He said the county learned from the Douglas station work that night‑and‑weekend construction windows can prolong schedules; the developer’s private funding provides an incentive to finish faster.
Deputy director Sean Aitchison and other DTPW staff told the trust they will closely monitor contractor progress and said the county required the developer to provide local‑preference hiring commitments as part of the development agreement.
Operational changes while work proceeds: DTPW will run a county shuttle between Coconut Grove and Douglas stations; the developer’s freebie on‑demand vehicle will be available during operating hours to transport riders to the next station. Bustamante said the Golden Glades and other larger facility upgrades are on separate schedules and that the Coconut Grove work is limited to the station site.
What to watch: Trust members pressed DTPW for clearer station signage and better onboard announcements so riders do not unexpectedly pass the closed station. DTPW said it will increase communication and that the trust will conduct a site tour and monitor progress as demolition and reconstruction continue.
