I think it was three or four years ago I noticed workers taking down a concrete block building located at the western edge of the Toyota Dealership on 1618 North Roosevelt Blvd in Key West. I seem to recall going back and taking a picture of the places before it was totally gone because I assumed a new building would replace it. I have looked throughout my old shoe box and cannot find that photo. But I did find two aerial photos taken in 1999 that show the building next KWFD Station1 with Bayview Park to the west.
SLOW FORWARD to maybe December 2020 or so. I noticed workers preparing the site for some new construction. Forms went up and a massive concrete pad was built. In January 2021 the construction to a divergent turn I had never seen in Key West. Giant wood poles were being erected around the perimeter of the concrete pad.
Six weeks later workers were framing the roof of this new wood structure. By this time another row of poles was added to the center of the concrete for which would later support the ridge beam.
June 1, 2021 the building is almost complete. I could not wait until it was completed because curiosity has got the better of me. I cannot figure out exactly the purpose of this new thatched roof building. I do not know of another commercial structure of this type in Key West. But more than that, other than knowing is automotive related, I can't figure out its purpose.
I also need to admit I have been lazy about documenting this structure. The workers sat on top of the roof adding thatches for a couple of months. I intended to photograph their progress. But it went on so long that I lost track of the time. Then one day it was done and they were gone.
As opposed to months long roof thatching, the palm trees and tropical foliage were installed in a matter of days. They surround the building on the east and north facing street facade. The smaller plants should grow rapidly and within a few months I expect the building will be almost invisible to people driving by.
So this is my dilemma: I can't figure out the purpose of this building. I took this photo over the fence. It shows steel columns with what looks like electric boxes of some type. What is this supposed to be?
10 comments:
Duh, they are auto lifts. Did you actually graduate from school?
Which Charm School were you expelled from?
I thought about that but they already have an air conditioned service center. It gets really hot here in the summer and often terribly rainy. I also thought it might be an electric battery charging station. The area is surrounded by fences to prevent theft. I also considered new car show floor. There are several multi-level indoor air conditioned auto show rooms in Miami. Again, this is outdoor space. That doesn't make a lot of sense either.
What a rude comment! I like your reply. They don't look like car lifts, and I used to sell car lifts. Charging station gets my vote. The thatched roof will provide ambiance for the owners while they wait. There will probably be benches or tables and chairs, wifi, beverage bar, etc. Toyota doesn't have an electric car but Ford does and a lot of folks in Key West might not have access to outlets where they live.
I hate to agree with the rude poster, but those are definitely car lifts. The name brand can just be made out.
Zoom in on the last photo and at the top of the blue vertical post it says "Rotary Lift". So, guessing this is some sort of open air repair facility.
I looked very carefully and saw the lifts markings. It just does not make sense to me to build an open air service repair shop in this heat and sometimes very rainy weather. I was hoping some person with actual knowledge would be able to report on exactly what is being built.
Boo hoo, nasty nasty comment regarding what these items are, ie auto lifts. You better grow a set before you get offended for being inept about a basic issue....
Behold the power of google:
https://rotarylift.com/
Must be outdoor service area. I agree with you Gary...completely insane. Good luck hiring people to sweat to death out there working on cars.
go around back of the Jeep rental place on N. Roosevelt. Their service area is the same. Very similar setup to this new thing. Very few auto garages are truly climate controlled. They may have huge fans to move lots of air, but enclosed air conditioned working garages are surprisingly not very common. I, too, think it's crazy in the KW heat, but once all of the fans get rolling it isn't THAT bad. It's just bad.
The Facebook page for Keys Auto Center has a March 12 post which states
“ We are very excited to announce that we are building a new service drive.
Not only will it be a Tiki Hut, it will be the largest Tiki Hut in Florida!!
Make sure you are keeping up with us on social media! We will be updating you guys through the process!”
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