Coconut Grove, Florida, is the first and oldest settlement in Miami, with many of the descendants of its original settlers remaining in the community today. More than a century old, the Village West neighborhood (also known as “West Grove”, “Black Grove”, and even at one time, “Colored Town”) is where Bahamian and African-American descendants of those who pioneered the development of Coconut Grove and the incorporation of the city of Miami live.

This distressed community is now characterized by deteriorated and forgotten historic homes, low-income residents, and underdeveloped economic assets that are in danger of extinction as market force development accelerates gentrification. For decades the residents of Coconut Grove’s Village West have been struggling to rebuild their once-thriving existence. Residents and leaders were stymied by disinvestment, lack of sufficient resources, crime and no systematic coordination of services.

On November 14, 2001, Coconut Grove residents and business owners came together with the assistance the University of Miami to formulate the Coconut Grove Collaborative to unify and advance efforts to revitalize the place they call “home”. The Collaborative formally incorporated as a tax-exempt organization after four months of community meetings and strategic planning. The Coconut Grove Collaborative, Inc. (CGCI) is a strong coalition of residents, stakeholder organizations and community partners consisting of: the West Grove Merchants Association, the Thelma Gibson Health Initiative, Inc., the Ecumenical Network of Coconut Grove, the Theodore R. Gibson Memorial Fund, Grovites United to Survive (G.U.T.S.), the Gibson Charter School, Dr. David White, the Coconut Grove Parking Advisory Committee/Miami Off-Street Parking, The Beacon Council, the University of Miami, The City of Miami, Miami-Dade County, The Collins Center for Public Policy, the P. L. Dodge Foundation, Pointe Bank, L. B. Carpenter, C.P.A., and Wind & Rain Homebuilders. CGCI is volunteer-based with a formal Board of Directors and a President/CEO on staff. Since its inception CGCI has cultivated resource partnerships to support the Collaborative’s revitalization efforts. The University of Miami, the City of Miami and the Collins Center for Public Policy have been major support partners, championed by City of Miami Commissioner Johnny Winton and supported by Miami-Dade County Commissioner Carlos Gimenez.

Among its principal objectives are the promotion affordability in housing, protection of the cultural character, production of mixed-income housing, preservation of historic structures and being the catalyst for economic development.