My
last blog on the Projects of Key West was in July 2017. Key West made
the news a four months later when television networks showed property
damage caused by Hurricane Irma. The networks mentioned Key West in
almost all the coverage leading viewers to think Key West incurred the
same devastating home damages that occurred outside of Key West. That
was not the case. We had minimal home damage compared to what happened
up the Keys. The
one big exception was the former home of Shel Silverstein at 618 William Street which has now been
razed.
Two
things happened as a result of the storm: first, a lot of the
construction work in progress before the storm had to stop. Some of the
workers who evacuated before the storm lived outside of Key West. Many
of their homes were destroyed. Other homes were so badly damaged they
became uninhabitable. I have talked with local business owners who told
me they lost permanent employees whose homes were destroyed or who just
gave up on trying to live here because the cost of housing is so
incredibly high. Second, other builders stopped work in progress to do
emergency emergency repairs.
It wasn't until around
Christmas that Key West as a community got things put back in order
enough to live our lives normally In that ten week time span the tree
canopy over the island that was so badly damaged re-generated itself.
Seasonal trees like the Royal Poincianas which bloom in May sprouted
millions and millions of tiny red flowers celebrating the fact that they
did not die. The Key West skyline came alive and we all knew it would
be alright here again. Let's take a look the houses that have been
completed, started, or still under construction.
1016 Varela Street
is located in the Old Town neighborhood south of Truman Avenue where
most houses are less expensive than those north of Truman. The area is
more densely populated which is a result of smaller lots and more
multi-unit housing. The house on Varela sits on a
very large
"L-shaped lot". Although the place didn't look like much, it had a lot
of that thing Realtors call "potential". Some lucky person finally
bought the place after several years on the market. They hired a good
local contractor who totally transformed the place.
1205 Florida Street
This
home is located two blocks east of White Street in the area I don't
consider mid-town but which others do. The house sits upon a large lot
which offered all kinds of possibilities for expansion or adding a pool
and garden. The new owner opted to renovate the existing house, add a
covered rear deck, and leave the addition of a pool to a later date. I
had a lot of interior photos which I lost upon my computer crash. Here
are a few before and after shots.
1414 Thompson Street
I
wrote about this former bank owned home in 2016. I got a ton of phone
calls and emails on it. The new owners started an ambitious revival of
this mid-century home that preserved the iconic look but also added some
necessary space. The thing most notable about the change by passers-by
is the new street appeal. I have not seen inside the fence but recall
the huge pool and huge palms which surround it. This was and looks to be
a tropical paradise.
704 Eaton Street
I
wrote about this house several years ago and compared it to the house
in "To Kill a Mockingbird" where Boo Radley lived. It really was that
creepy. When I wrote about the house the lot size included an equally
creepy but large "garden" to the west. The listing agent told potential
buyers they could split off the lot and maybe put a commercial structure
on the new lot. I thought that idea would never pass. To my surprise
that is exactly what city fathers and mothers allowed. The new parcel is
700 Eaton Street which will be described below. 704 Eaton Street is now
owned by recently retired race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr who is
participating in the renovation.
I
borrowed some of the owner's Instagram photos of the project. The two
pics above show a couple of discoveries he made. The first is a hand
forged nail used in the construction of the original house and the
second is a bee hive found inside the studs. During renovation of most
old houses, much of the original interiors are removed to make way for
new interior stud walls and the replacement of electrical wiring,
plumbing, and introduction of HVAC.
Above
photo was taken of 704 Eaton Street, Key West on September 10, 2017 a
few short hours after Hurricane Irma passed over Key West. This photo
shows the strength and resilience of old conch architecture and
construction techniques. The windows in this house were removed and the
back side of the house was completely removed prior to the storm. The
winds blew through the house but did no damage. I tell people the story
of when I bought my first place here. We wanted to take down an existing
wall constructed of Dade County Pine (the same pine used in 704 Eaton).
I used a sledge hammer. The stud would not move. We broke a couple of
Sawzall blades trying to cut through the wood that was as strong as
concrete. This lumber is tough. So are the men who build and renovate
houses using it.
If
you look upward in this series you will see the partial demolition of
the sawtooth addition. That building and a shed addition at the rear
have also been restored. It's too bad that the city fathers allowed a
wine bar parking lot to be built on the corner. What the hell were they
thinking?
700 Eaton Street
I dug into my old shoebox and found a
photo of the dapper former owner of the Curry Drug Store once located at the
corner of Elizabeth and Eaton. That building was razed years ago and the
lot sat vacant for decades. The lot was recently sold and the lot
cleared. A new structure is being built in compliance with Florida's
strict new building codes. A cement pad was laid upon which a concrete
block building was erected. Fir strips were attached to CBS structure
and then plywood was attached. A vapor barrier wrapped the plywood after
which Hardiboard siding was applied. The city fathers in their wisdom gave
the new owners permission to sell expensive wine at this place.
Neighbors fought the proposed use, but lost. Don't we have enough joints
that sell booze in this town?
|
The old garden and giant Royal Poinciana Tree were cleared to make room for the new CBS building. |
This
place is nearly done and I won't write about it again. I feel very
sorry for the people who own the beautiful home to the south. I wrote
about that beautiful home several years ago. It is wonderful. The
property value has been diminished by this new ugly structure. Shame on
the city.
744 Windsor Lane
This property
is composed of two good sized homes which were previously joined to
create a large grand residence. The renovation underway here is of the
gardens at the front and rear. As I understand it, changes to the homes
will be minimal as viewed from the street. The front garden was totally
removed. The rear garden and pool area were strikingly beautiful when
this home was purchased. The new owners engaged Craig Reynolds, Key
West's premiere landscape architect, to create the new street view and
rear gardens.
Pool and Rear Gardens
before Renovation
Trees
were removed in anticipation of redevelopment of the grounds. A couple
of large specimen palms fell victim to Hurricane Irma. I will report
back on this project upon completion.
421 Simonton Street
Just about everybody in town has
driven or walked by 421 Simonton Street at sometime. The
1912 Historic
Sanborn Fire Map shows two nearly identical buildings situated next to
each other and identified as A and B.at what is now identified as 421
Simonton Street. The 1899 Sanborn Fire Map showed a single totally
different
which had existed for at least ten years earlier. So the two twin
buildings were built sometime between 1899 and 1912. A narrow concrete
block addition was added to the buildings replacing the original front
porches. This concrete addition was used as commercial space for decades
until March 2017 when the concrete block facade was removed and
renovation of the historic buildings began. Photos show the Hurricane
Irma interlude. Nothing happened to this building. That is a remarkable
feature about Conch construction. These old houses were built to stand
up to the winds that hit our island every once in a while.
CLICK HERE or
progress photos of the ongoing renovation of 421 Simonton Street which
will have five transiently licensed apartments sometime in the future.
Don't get all excited folks. The owner has had the transient licenses
for several years.
1109 Fleming Street
I
wrote about this once-bank Eyebrow House located at the far end of
Fleming Street several years ago. The new owner started an ambitious
project to renovate and expand the eyebrow house and rear cottage that
sit upon the huge lot which has rear access and parking off Stickney
Lane.
804 Catherine Street
The
original house had been converted into a combination home and business
like several other properties over the years except this place didn't
look all that great. The houses was fairly good sized and it had a
really large back yard. This project has been underway for four years.
I'm done taking photos!
1209 Knowles Lane
This
house was a bank owned property that I quite frankly missed the ball
on. I was appalled by the condition of this house. It was among the
worst of bank owned houses I have seen, and I have seen a lot! I think
it may have been a tenant rather than an owner who painted hopeless
messages on the kitchen walls. I remember the floors sagging and the
ceiling falling inward. I looked at the lot and did not see the
possibility of adding a pool. I was wrong.
1012 Catherine Street
This
has been an interesting property to observe. As in the case of other
homes I was photographing, I lost several months worth of images of this
property that looks really sharp. The contractor was always present
every time I went there. That in itself is a rarity in Key West.
524 Grinnell Street
This
unassuming little house is getting a major renovation by one of the
best from bottom to top and front to back. This house is located on one
of the best blocks in Old Town.
1010 Whitehead Street
I
wrote a blog about this modest
little cottage a couple of years ago. It was once the home of one the
really great men of Key West - Lawrence Formica, the entrepreneur who
created LaTeDa. His house changed hands after his passing. I am sure it
was pretty special when Larry owned it. He did just about everything
right. Well, he had personal issues like we all do, but he sure knew how
to throw a party every day! Later it became a bank owned property that
was priced very because of deteriorated condition.
Construction
was underway a couple of days before Hurricane Irma was to hit town. I
took the photos below at that time. The contractor was warning folks
not to enter the house. The last photo shows the house now completed.
221 Petronia Street
I wrote a blog about this
fire damaged
(then a bank owned property) building in January 1015. It went under
contract immediately after it was listed and for good reason. The place
is very well located just two blocks from Duval Street and near several
popular restaurants. The new Truman Waterfront Park is two blocks to the
west.
317 Angela Street
I
have been taking photos of this project since
last summer. However, when my computer crashed, I lost those progress
photos. I must report how sorry I am about this particular loss because
this brand new house is stunning in its simplicity of design and how it
was built to fit under the existing tree canopy, I found a photo of the
old house that
previously sat upon this lot from the 1920s until after 1965 when the
black and white
photo was taken. The photo of the empty lot was borrowed from our local
MLS. The new photos were taken February 1, 2018
1022 Flagler Avenue
Once
a lovely mid-century modern home located in the Casa Marina Area where
home prices continue to escalate, the new owner decided to take down the
original house and replace it with a brand new two story contemporary
home.
1023 Washington Street
I
used to live a half block away from the prettiest home in Key West. Oh,
that house is still there and it still looks very pretty, but HARC
betrayed the people of Key West and permitted two new houses to be built
on the grounds of the former anchor home in the Casa Marina Area. Two
houses were built, one on Whalton Street and the other at 1023
Washington. The new house on Washington is nearing completion. It looks
great. But it should have never been allowed to be built. I wish that
people who spoke on behalf of the project had been sworn to tell the
truth under penalty of perjury.
1413 Von Phister Street
A
Contemporary Conch House is being constructed on the site of a former
mid-century modern home. The small CBS construction was razed to make
way for a larger home that will be easier to maintain and insure year
after year. There are several properties being built to replace smaller
homes I think this on will surpass them all in design. The new home will
be about 1800 square foot in size and will have three bedrooms, three
baths, large rooms throughout, a great room at the rear overlooking a
new pool. The house will incorporate impact window and doors, Hardiboard
siding, and metal roof Completion is expected in December.
1209 Laird Street
Another
mid-century home located one-half block east of White Street and a few
blocks to the Atlantic Ocean was raze and a new contemporary conch is
being constructed. This house is slated to have a rooftop sundeck in the
rear.
I
first came to Key West in March 1984. It was pretty funky back then. I
loved it for the funk and all the hidden potential I saw. I imagined
what I could do if I bought a house here. Key West has changed so much
over the years. Prices have gotten out of control for normal for most
buyers. I hate that and yet I am contributing to this because I sell
these over-priced houses which makes all the remaining houses go up in
price. When I was in college a can of Coke cost ten cents. Today a coke
at the gas station costs $1.49. All prices rise. A Coke is still a
Coke. But one of the old houses of Key West is now a million bucks or
more.