I started The Projects of Key West series in July 2011 to commemorate the renovation of the historic homes of Key West and document the construction of new homes and commercial buildings across our island city.
I have been photographing some of the current projects for nearly three years. The Covid pandemic initially slowed the pace of renovation and then reduced numbers of workers. Later shortages of lumber and building materials produced outside of the United States prolonged the delay. Later home appliances produced in foreign lands were trapped at sea or in storage depots.
When the public was allowed to return to Key West, existing houses started selling at a surprising pace. Buyers started hiring architects and contractors to design and renovate their new dream houses. Our little fishing town with a drinking problem and a sometimes hardly-able workforce got even more stressed. And, oh yeah, prices on everything went up. That is not Biden's fault. It is the way markets work. Presidents take credit for good times and say it's not my fault in bad times The people who sold at the very start of the pandemic have got to be kicking themselves now because of the subsequent price increases. Some houses that sold in the past year have gone back on the market at crazy ass asking prices. As I said a couple of days ago, our real estate market has gone bonkers. The housing stock throughout the Florida Keys has seen record price appreciation over the past 18 moths or so. While home owners will complain about the higher property taxes, don't expect to hear them grips about price appreciation.
Historically most new construction and most renovation projects take well over a year to complete. Renovation or restoration projects take longer than new construction primarily because so much time is spent getting approval from our Historic Architectural Review Commission (HARC) to approve any project. The Key West Tree Commission has become a player in the process and determines what property owners may and may not be done with regard to trees. As the projects get underway the city's planning and building departments step in to grind progress to a snail's pace ensuring no part of the construction process is over-looked or not documented.
I added CLICK HERE links to each project so that readers can view multiple progress photos. I spent a lot of time photographing these projects. I hope readers will look at some or all of the photos They do help illustrate the story of how each project and type of property was built or renovated. Let's see what happened in 2021.
813 Waddell Avenue - Casa Marina Area
The original one story house was built in 1954 and sat on 10,500 Sq Ft lot located across from the Casa Marian Resort parking lot but also a two block walk to Higgs Beach. I heard the new owner wanted to take down the old house and build a new structure. Even though the house is located outside of the historic district our Historical Architectural Review Commission refused permission take down concrete block house and required the owner to renovate it instead. The house was gutted and rebuilt on site keeping the original facade and footprint and rebuilding the interior. This aggressive decision by HARC caused this homeowner to spend more money than necessary to renovate than to raze and build the house he wanted. This interference in the property rights of ordinary citizens has gone on now for four decades. It began in Old Town and has expanded into Casa Marina.
CLICK HERE to view progress photos.
1100 Flager Averne - Casa Marina Area
This 4,185 Sq Ft house sits on 9,000: Sq Ft lot just east of the White and Flagler Avenue intersection - one of the busiest locations in Key West. But it is also just a couple of blocks north of the Key West beaches. It was built just after World War II. The house has just been completed. The builder painted everything WHITE! and added custom closet systems in all of the bedrooms. The original landscaping was removed and replaced with a bunch of new palms and tropical foliage. (The photos below are in sequence and show the lot before renovation, after being cleared, and currently.).
1100 Johnson Street - Casa Marina Area
Some people believe
Johnson Street is the most desirable street in the Casa Marina Area
because many of the most expensive homes in Key west are located there. Others prefer the more rural streets like Von Phister with its
giant Mahogany trees or Casa Marina Court with its direct ocean views. For the uniformed even though Key West is an island, it has very few homes with actual ocean views.
I
showed 1100 Johnson Street a couple of times when it was offered for sale a
few years ago. The house was built in 1959 when America was infatuated
by big cars - hence the sweeping driveway. The original
foyer led to a step-down living room like in the Dick Van Dyke Show The entire house had MAD MEN
vibes. The house was recently renovated inside and outside and now has a new driveway, a pool, and 21st Century Vibes.
CLICK HERE for more photos
1120 Johnson Street - Casa Marina Area
The
home at 1120 Johnson Street was built new in 1995 on a previously
never built upon lot. The most recent owner just completed a more than year long
interior renovation and redesign of the fence and landscaping.
733 Poorhouse Lane - Old Town
I represented the buyer who purchased this hovel located on the backside of his very expensive property on an adjacent street. This house was rebuilt and expanded during the pandemic. The owner encountered all kinds of. It sold as soon as it hit the market in the spring of 2021 for $2,300,000 or $100,000 over asking. This was a wake-up call. Buyers wanted quality homes in Old Town Key West and were willing to spend lots of money to get them before someone else got the opportunity. The land rush was on.
CLICK HERE and CLICK HERE for more photos
533 Petronia Street - Old Town
The old house oozed charm but suffered from years of neglect. It sat back from the street further than any other home on this street. It actually had a front yard and covered off street parking. And it was located just a short walk to Duval Street. The simplicity of design and location beckoned a would-be renovator to recreate the best version of the original cottage. The front and rear yards were overgrown with trees which were infested with termites. HARC allowed the homeowners to move the house forward on the lot thereby creating space enlarge the house and to add a pool and guest cottage. The Tree Commission allowed the owners to take down diseased trees (at a huge expense). The owners hired a good architect and competent builder. The house was lifted up and moved forward on the lot and placed back down on new piers. The rest is history and a lot of money. But it was worth it. The place is spectacular. This home received a Ceramic Star for Excellence in Preservation for 2022.
CLICK HERE to view progress photos.
522 Petronia Street - Old Town
In 2014 I blogged about the two small cottage style homes which were joined together decade earlier to create a larger home. The original renovation and unification of two houses into one was novel at its time. It was the direct view of the of the neighboring Episcopal church garden that made this place so enchanting. A few months ago I noticed exterior work was underway. I had great expectations for a major renovation. Instead I only saw clean-up to make the entrance more inviting.
CLICK HERE for more photos
1104 Petronia Street
I sold this prominent house last year. My buyer looked at it on a Saturday afternoon when the Royal Poinciana tree facing the Key West cemetery was in full bloom. It was a sight to behold. In earlier years there was an adjacent house to the west.It fell to fire. Who even knows about the great fire on Petronia Street. I didn't. The house has been gutted on the inside. The foundation is being rebuilt in place. Let's see what happens here. For now a few photos of what was and a couple of progress pics.
903 Eaton Street - Old Town.
I represented the buyer who purchased this property several years ago with the intention of building a new home here. The original concrete block house sat at the rear of a 5,200 Sq Ft lot. HARC policy allows concrete block houses to be razed. After spending over $50,000 in architectural fees, the owner concluded he could not satisfy the city employee who controlled HARC. He sold the property to another party who built the new house seen in the bottom photo. My buyer/seller is not the first property owner to give up fighting city hall. He won't be the last to walk away in disgust either.
CLICK HERE for photos of 903 Eaton Street
627 Caroline Street - Old Town
I blogged about this once great
old house several years ago when it was offered for sale. Two elderly
sisters rambled around inside this place. It reeked of piss when I saw
it. They had no clue what was going on. The layout was dysfunctional for
modern living, but the lot size, location, and stoic beauty of the
building made the cost of renovation worth the investment. It appeared almost finished in December 2021. It is still not finished in March 2022. A pool and guest cottage were added at the rear. There are a lot of photos Take a look.
CLICK HERE to view progress photos. The house was elevated while new piers were built. This house was raised higher than it originally sat on the site. I think this may be related to concern about future flood elevation concerns. It is not an issue now. The shell of the house was lowered onto the piers systematically taken apart, and totally rebuilt with mostly new lumber. The disjointed flow of the original house was built anew. .
805 Olivia Street - Old Town
I wrote about and showed 803
Olivia Street several times over the years. Renovations were done in the
1999 - 2000 era.The house showed very well. It is/was located adjacent
to the Key West cemetery and across the street from a neighborhood
convenience store both of which spooked some potential buyers. The property had
an extra large lot with an existing small cottage which allowed the
owner to maximize lot usage. I drove by one day in 2020 and noticed a
huge new house was being built on the adjacent lot. Construction on this property was some of the fastest I have witnessed.
818 Olivia Street - Old Town
I wrote abut this little gem a couple of times over the years. It was one of the cutest homes I ever wrote about. It is located opposite the Key West cemetery which scared away many potential buyers, but not all. I started taking photos of the most recent update in 2020 when I saw changes taking place. I don't know if anything was done inside. The facade and porch were taken apart and rebuilt. It looks as sharp as ever. This house also received a Ceramic Star for renovation in 2022.
CLICK HERE to view more photos
710 Caroline Street
This house has been on and off the real estate market for almost as long as I have been selling houses. I remember showing it several times years ago. It had been renovated and used as a monthly vacation rental. Workers recently began a new renovation.
CLICK HERE to see progress photos.
520 Grinnell Street
The 1,382 Sq Ft concrete block house at 520 Grinnell Street was built new in 1953 and sits on a large corner lot adjacent to Hibiscus Lane. The house became bank owned in 2019. While HARC guidelines would allow the owner to raze this non-contributing structure, this owner (a local designer) elected to add some space up front and renovate the CBS house instead. .
CLICK HERE to see progress photos which include the original house before it became bank owned.
714 Passover Lane - Old Town
This will be a very interesting project to watch. I blogged about the original house when it was listed for sale. It was located near the end of the walking lane extension of Passover Lane. The street section of Passover Lane starts where Margaret Street and Angela Street meet at the northwest corner of the cemetery and proceeds to wrap the west side of the cemetery where it merges into Windsor Lane nat the end of the cemetery. It is quite confusing.
Many years ago wrap-around porches were added to the original Conch revival style house. The house had small rooms and low ceilings. It was cramped and dysfunctional. There was a narrow stairway to the second floor. Later the attic had been converted into living space accessible only by the an outdoor staircase. The most recent owner took off the porches, took down the exterior staircase, cleared the jungle of overgrown trees and vegetation, and cleared the lot. The original house was relocated to the front of the lot and the stripped of most of its siding. New piers were built a the rear and new framing for a new building has begun. I assume the original house will be connected to the new building in some fashion.
The photos below show the location of the house before the porches were added and then afterwards. The subsequent photos show the framing of a new portion of the home near the location of the original house.
CLICK HERE to view progress photos
813 Galveston Lane - Old Town
Galveston Lane was itself memorialized by WPA photographers during their expedition to Key West in the Depression. I don't know that the poverty of the people who lived there was any greater than any other part of America, but the photos are memorable.
I remember seeing a house trailer permanently located in the 800 block of Elizabeth Street. I thought that was odd - having a mobile home on a city lot. Then I saw another at 813 Galveston Lane, one half block to the east. The owners had lived in those places for years and the city did nothing to require a change. The Elizabeth Street lot sold several years ago. The trailer was removed and a very large new house was built in its place. Recently a fire consumed the trailer on Galveston Lane. Locals banded together and built a new home for the owner.
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CLICK HERE to view progress photos
1003 Seminary Street - Casa Marina Area
HARC permitted this owner to move the house forward on the 5,200 Sq Ft sun drenched lot which allowed for the expansion of the original house, the addition of a pool, and the conversion of a garage into a guest cottage with bedroom and bath.
1227 Washington Street - Mid Town Key West
I blogged about this remarkable old home in April 2018 after attending a brokers open house. I was impressed bungalow style home but it was a relic in time. The large lot was itself dysfunctional.There was a pool and guest cottage. They did not look right. A couple giant trees came down and were replaced by palms. A fence went up giving the new owner more privacy. I drove by the house this past Sunday. Still not complete as far as I could see. I am surprised HARC allowed the owner to the owner o add he dark accent color. I is not authentic to the house. I would have preferred an all white exterior, but this is not my house.
CLICK HERE for more photos.
324 Virginia Street - Bahama Village
I remember showing this interesting property a day or two after it was listed for sale in 2019. Several other agents and potential developers were there that day As I recall the property sat on the market for several months. There were multiple heirs that hoped to their share of the bounty of the dearly departed's home. An adjacent property also was purchased and cleared. It looks like the two will become one..
CLICK HERE to view more photos. This house was moved to the opposite side of the lot, a new cottage built in the rear, new piers installed, and the house moved back to its near original situs. However, the house sits much higher on the lot. It does not look right at this point in time
1221 Royal Street - Old Town
I began to track the renovation of this well located but neglected old house in November 2020. It sold during the pandemic to a local investor/renovator. Workmen began taking the place apart with plans to renovate in place and add a pool. I drove by to checkout the progress and saw the house was down. I called the owner's agent who told me the house collapsed on its own. This mishap allowed the owner to build a brand new house instead. The new house went up in lickety-split time and looks great. Three months ago the owner's real estate agent told me the owner has no plan to sell the house. For now. We'll see about that. Don't hold your breath.
CLICK HERE for more photos
1435 Flagler Avenue - Mid Town
I blogged about this comfortable mid-century house several years ago. The corner lot was nicely landscaped and had a large but dated pool. The house was dated but well maintained. A new owner started to renovate the property then suddenly stopped. The house was re-sold and razed. I suspected the renovation project was going to exceed the 50% build back limitation. A new concrete block house was begun. New construction built on a lot is subject to building code but not cost of improvement restrictions. It's funny. It looks like the city enforces the 50% cont restriction on some but not all property owners. Isn't that interesting. I wonder if any federal agency that gives money to the city has ever looked into that. This new house has nothing to do with what I just mentioned. I met the owner at an open house I hosted. Really nice guy. I hope to see the inside someday. Interesting architecture that i snot copy cat.
CLICK HERE for more photos - including original house.
1217 Johnson Street - Casa Marina East as I like to say
This mid-century house was razed to make way for a new two story "plaza". It is interesting to see how they framed the first floor before starting the second floor.
CLICK HERE for more photos
1301 Atlantic Avenue - Casa Marina Area East
I recently started to follow the construction of this new home in the upwardly trending neighborhood just east of White Street. The lots in this area are comparable in size or larger than similar lots in the Casa Marina Area but which have sold at a lower price point. This new concrete block with stucco finish stands out from the other homes in the area particularly it is much larger and they are all modular. It looks more like Boca than Key West. That is my opinion. I drove a buyer past the house and he loved it.
CLICK HERE for more photos.
1221 Packer Street - Old Town South of Truman
I could write a book about this place. It consumer weeks of my life trying to keep a deal togehter. My buyer had plans to renovate this older home with nice design and potential guest cottage, pool, and off street parking. Trouble began when the seller could not deliver clear title. Years earlier during the last BOOM MARKET the lender did not examine title as wellas it should. Althought this house sat in the same location for more than one hundred years, the roofline apparently encroached on the adjacent property. A local lender refused to fund a new mortgage. The neighbor refsed to cooperate in an easemntto clean up the matter. My buyer got his escrow back and moved on. Now a new owner is starting a renovation. Let'watch the progress.
CLICK HERE to see more photos
There are many more home construction and renovation projects underway. I will include many of this in the next installment of The Projects of Key West. Drop a comment about a house you like or say something in a nice way about a place you don't.
