Historical

TBT - Demolition Photos & Video Of Miami's Tobacco Road

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Demolition Of The Oldest Bar In Miami - Tobacco Road

Demolition Of The Oldest Bar In Miami - Tobacco Road

TBT (November 19, 2014) - 4 years ago this month Tobacco Road was demolished after 102 years of history. We previously showed a photo tour of the building before it was torn down and a photo tour of the building as it was being stripped inside. After the lot sat empty for years, a pizza place recently opened on the site and the land will eventually be part of the the Brickell City Centre expansion with a 54 story condo.

Over the past 10 plus days, demolition has taken place on the 102 year old Tobacco Road. The demolition crew was Thunder Demolition with Group 3 Contractors. 

The bar held the first liquor license in Miami and now debris from the building is all that remains on the site. 

During the demolition, the team from Thunder Demolition was able to save the original Dade-County Pine from the building. Employees from Tobacco Road plan on using the original wood to make coasters, cutting boards and tables to preserve the history of the original location. General Manager Joel Rivera and employees still need to raise $50,000 and are doing this until December 2 through Kickstarter. They need any donations possible to help move into a new location across the lot.

Photos of bar during operation can be seen here. A video of the bar during operation can be seen here. Photos of the bar right before demolition and all the items removed can be seen here.

Demolition Video

TBT - Photos Of Tobacco Road Miami Before Demolition

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Inside Tobacco Road Before Demolition

Inside Tobacco Road Before Demolition

TBT (November 18, 2014) - After the final call and closing of Tobacco Road on October 25, 2014 after 102 years, demolition of the inside of the building began shortly after. Many of the memorabilia in the bar, including the neon sign, dade county pine wood used on the bar, many of the posters and signs were saved before the building eventually was torn down.

On October 25, 2014, Tobacco Road had its final last call and closed its location at 626 South Miami Avenue for good after 102 years. 

Shortly after, employees began removing items from the bar such as framed photos, the 40 foot bar and the famous neon sign into storage. 

General Manager of Tobacco Road, Joel Rivera, is trying to relocate Tobacco Road across the lot into a new space, but needs $50,000 to do this. Rivera and employees are trying to raise the money through kickstarter and have only December 2 to do this. Any money donated will help save Tobacco Road and keep the memories going in a new location.

Below are photos of Tobacco Road before demolition began and after items were removed from the bar.

For photos of the bar during operation click here. For a video look of Tobacco Road click here.

TBT - One Final Look - A Photo Tour Of Tobacco Road

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The Famous Neon Tobacco Road Sign

The Famous Neon Tobacco Road Sign

Our first TBT piece was originally posted October 27, 2014, two days after the final call of the oldest bar in Miami - Tobacco Road. Since the closing and demolition of Tobacco Road, it has been announced that the Tobacco Road lot will be part of the Brickell City Centre expansion, which will include a 54 story condo at 570 feet and another 62 story condo across the street at 654 feet.

On the morning of October 26, Tobacco Road had its final last call and turned off the famous neon sign for the final time in its 102 year old location. 

The building has been around since 1912 and has been a bakery, burlesque club, gay club, gambling den and of course a place for live music. Tobacco Road was the only place in Miami where lawyers, politicians and doctors could drink next to bikers, vagrants and drug dealers. 

Tobacco Road was hurting for business the last few years with the construction of Brickell City Centre surrounding the bar and after having the property bought for $12.5 million in 2012 by developer Carlos Mattos. 

The new owner is trying to raise money through Kickstarter to move across the lot to a new location and save the historical items in the bar.

Click here for a video of Tobacco Road and here for a more comprehensive story of the bar.

Tobacco Road Photos

New Preliminary Architectural Plans For Coconut Grove Playhouse Revealed

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Coconut Grove Playhouse

Plans have been revealed by The Miami Herald that would restore the long abandoned Coconut Grove Playhouse and add a new modern theater. 

The new designs were created by the Coconut Grove based firm Arquitectonica and would involve restoring the original V shaped building in the front, but demolishing the theater in the back and replacing it with a new modern 300 seat theater. Also included in the plans are a new parking garage that would hold 500 parking spaces and would be built on the current surface parking lot on Main Highway. 35 residential units are also included in the plan with 26 1 bed/1 bath and 9 2 bed/2 baths.

Miami-Dade County has budgeted $20 million for the restoration and construction of the building that will not start at least for another two years while full architectural designs are created.

A historical assessment of the Coconut Grove Playhouse can be viewed here and preliminary plans can be viewed here.

Renderings Of The New Tobacco Road Revealed

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The New Tobacco Road Rendering

The New Tobacco Road Rendering

Renderings of the new Tobacco Road have been released through the Facebook page The Oski Foundation. They show a new, more upscale looking Tobacco Road, which will open in the lot across the old bar at 69 SW 7th Street.

The renderings show that the top of the old bar will be used in the new location, which was saved before being torn down, along with the old "Hot & Cold Running Liquor" sign that used to hang above the front entrance. Photos of the old location adorn the bar, along with framed flyers of past shows played at Tobacco Road. Leather chairs and couches will surround the main bar area. 

Tobacco Road had its closing party on October 25, 2014 before being demolished a month after.

Pre-demolition photos can be seen here.

Update: Renderings are of the Tobacco Road on the Norwegian Cruise Line Escape.

Tobacco Road To Re-Open This Winter

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Tobacco Road Before Closing

Tobacco Road closed in October 2014 after more than 100 years of operation. Only a few weeks later everything taken out of the building including the neon sign, bar and other memorabilia and into storage.  

The items were saved and new owner Joel Rivera is planning on opening the new Tobacco Road across the lot with plans to open this Winter.

Until then, Tobacco Road is having their annual Crawfish Boil this Sunday April 19 in the parking lot. 

Demolition photos and video of Tobacco Road can be seen here.

Demolition Photos & Video Of Miami's Tobacco Road

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Demolition Of The Oldest Bar In Miami - Tobacco Road

Demolition Of The Oldest Bar In Miami - Tobacco Road

Over the past 10 plus days, demolition has taken place on the 102 year old Tobacco Road. The demolition crew was Thunder Demolition with Group 3 Contractors. 

The bar held the first liquor license in Miami and now debris from the building is all that remains on the site. 

During the demolition, the team from Thunder Demolition was able to save the original Dade-County Pine from the building. Employees from Tobacco Road plan on using the original wood to make coasters, cutting boards and tables to preserve the history of the original location. General Manager Joel Rivera and employees still need to raise $50,000 and are doing this until December 2 through Kickstarter. They need any donations possible to help move into a new location across the lot.

Photos of bar during operation can be seen here. A video of the bar during operation can be seen here. Photos of the bar right before demolition and all the items removed can be seen here.