If you like old houses with lots of character of have a yen to do some remodeling, the historic home at
622 Grinnell Street in Old Town
Key West
is a property you should consider. This place is glorious and full of
charm. You won't see stainless steel appliances, marble, or granite
anywhere. But you will see lots of potential everywhere. 622 Grinnell Street is listed by Preferred Properties Key West, but it is not my listing. The listing
agent describes the house this way:
"Wonderful, original conch home with three legal units. Great location and superb
street presence. Access to the rear cottage is from a lane.Possible conversion
back to single family and would be a really spectacular property as such.
Opportunity to work with a property that has been maintained while leaving a Key
West flavor."
I did a quick search of the Sandborn Fire Maps and learned that 622 Grinnell Street first appeared in the 1912 edition. Prior addition was 1898 so we know it was built after 1898 and before 1912. I found a photo of the property that was taken in 1965. Compare that black and white photo to a photo I took last week.
The
property consists of the main house on Grinnell Street and the rear (guest) cottage on
Canfield Lane. The main house does not have (and may have never had) an interior staircase. Until a few months ago sibling owners occupied the first floor, the second, and third floor. (The second and third floors were occupied by one sibling.) The cottage has been a rental for some time. This explains the mls listing as three legal
units. I have shown this property several times and have been unable to find any evidence of a prior interior staircase. However, the house is quite large and there are a couple of alternative areas where a new staircase could be added which would then lead to the conversion into a single family residence which I believe is the highest and best use for this property.
622 Grinnell Street has 1820 sq ft of interior living space. The cottage has an additional 512 sq ft. The house and cottage sit on a large lot on one of the quietest blocks in Old Town. (Grinnell Street dead ends at the corner of Angela Street which is the northern boundary of the Key West cemetery.) The value in this property is not as multi-unit income property
but rather as a renovated single family home with a
charming guest cottage which has room to add a pool and parking. The photos below were taken a few months back when the property was owner occupied. Tenants now occupy the property and it does not show the same.
The
rooftop deck on the main house has an incredible view of the area. You
can see the spires at St Mary's Basilica. Most of the lot is
covered with tropical foliage and red brick pavers. The house itself has
been well maintained and looks great. Buyers who seek Dade County Pine and old glass with ripples will fall in love with this old house. There are
little cubby holes and scuttles and other architectural treasures galore.
When I photographed the second floor a few months ago it almost looked like a Ralph Lauren idealized version of what a Key West home should look like.
The listing agent states that the property as a whole has
2740 sq ft of living space and sits on a 57' x 83' (
4683 sq ft)
lot. The house has not been touched in years and would benefit from a
thorough renovation. But understand that the property is perfectly
livable as is. I just think the highest and best use of this house is to
make it into a single family.
CLICK HERE to view a slideshow of photos I took of this property.
The
600
block of Grinnell Street is one of the quietest blocks in Old Town.
That is because it ends at Angela Street which is the northern border of
the Key West cemetery. That means that Conch trains, trolleys, and Duck
Tour vehicles will not be using this street because they cannot traverse
Angela Street. Your life will be quieter because of this. Occasionally
you will still
see tourists walking by or riding bikes. And you will see neighbors go
across the street to use the Grinnell Street Pocket Park.
Five
Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop is located down the block at the corner of Southard Street.
The Key West Historic Seaport is located three blocks further north and
Duval Street is located five blocks to the west. Most of the gyms and
yoga studios are located within a five to ten minute walk.
622 Grinnell Street is offered at
$1,200,000.
CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls data sheet on this property. Or better than that, please call me,
Gary Thomas,
305-766-2642 or send me an email at
kw1101v@aol.com. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at
Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.
