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Sunday, May 3, 2015

The New Key West Fire Department is Finally Complete - The Torture is Over!

It's over!  Thank God, it's over! I won't have to deal with big burly guys pushing me around anymore. I won't have to endure being bullied and having to walk a couple blocks out to way to go to my office. They didn't demand my lunch money - no they just made life a living hell for the last year. They blocked the little lane that leads to the parking lot behind my office. They erected barriers and diverted traffic so that I could not get into my parking lot. For several weeks I didn't know which street to take to work. I had to call a friend at local hotel to ask if I could park there. And when I could park in our lot, my car got thoroughly dusted with this mixture of concrete and dust that mixed with the moisture in the air to create a tough coat of goo to cover my car.   Local politicians do what all politicians do - they invited photographers over to the construction site, smiled for the cameras, and took credit for the new fire station that was built to replace the old one.

For many, many years the old fire station was also the police station and city hall for Key West. The building located at the corners of Simonton and Angela Street was built in the 1950s and worked just fine for decades. But as the City of Key West prospered and as local government grew (governments always grow - they never contract!), the governing officials decided they needed to build more buildings to house the bulging bureaucracy.  Several years ago the police department was relocated to North Roosevelt Boulevard. And after years of debating, a new city hall is being constructed inside the walls of the former Key West high school at the corners of White and United Streets. I'll write about that some day soon. But for now I'd like to share some photos that show the history of the old building and the new one.
The aerial photo above show the former city hall, police station, and fire department located at the corner of Simonton and Angela Streets. The two story parking garage and city hall annex are located adjacent to the north. The phone company building is at the corner of Simonton at Southard.
The above photo shows the building in 1962.  There were two bays for fire department vehicles. The police department entrance was at the rear. City hall entrance was at the Angela Street doorway.
The above photo shows the back side of the building in 1965.  The parking garage had not been built yet. The city hall annex is to the left. The larger building at the rear is the phone company building.
The decidedly ugly city parking structure is shown above. City fathers tore down this eyesore several years ago. Later the city hall annex seen to the right was taken down. The photo below shows the demolition of that building in August 2011. For readers who care about governmental efficiency, please note that the current batch of city fathers are now considering tearing up the newly built parking lot to build a new parking garage where the old one once existed. I think this is how politicians work in most places. It's probably not something specific to Key West. Of course, if they had to build buildings with their own money, other decisions might be made.
The big trucks and construction equipment moved into my neighborhood in March 2014. I took this photo from the back door at Preferred Properties parking lot looking to the south. The old fire station remained active in place while the construction of the new building took place. Within a matter of a couple of weeks pre-stressed concrete slabs were put together like LEGO blocks. However, it took months of work by various trades to complete the mechanical, electrical, HVAC, roof, and interiors.
I walked over to take photos of the project last August 13th. The old fire station was still in use. As I passed by I looked over to the picnic table where fireman sometimes sat to eat lunch and noticed this bent over figure which I first though was a fireman.
I looked closer. I laughed out loud. Even the firemen were exhausted by all the commotion.
If you are familiar with the location, you know that this particular corner floods like crazy every time there is a rain storm in Key West. City fathers (the city dollars) have tried to fix the flooding at various times over the years. Part of the redevelopment of this site included new sewer and water service and a new attempt to take storm runoff water away from the site. The one storm I witnessed moved the water from the intersection about forty feet west - just about where the yellow vehicle is shown above or in front of the entrance to the Garden Hotel.
It took about three weeks to bring down the old fire station. She was a tough old broad to be sure. As she finally succumbed to the heavy equipment the visage of the new building began to emerge. Of course I could "see" the building but I was trying to figure out what it would actually look like. Now I had given a brief glance to the plans as they appeared in the paper. That was useless. I needed to look at it myself. 
The parking lot was paved. Sprinkler systems and light poles were installed throughout the space. Palm trees and ground cover appeared like magic. One day the place was barren. A couple of days later it was like Samatha Stevens had twitched her nose to dumbfound Mrs. Kravitz. CLICK HERE to see more photos I took and some that I borrowed of our old city hall, police station, and fire station and of our new Old Town Fire House.
I live a couple of blocks away from the new city hall is being built.  It's gonna be like Déjà vu all over again.


Friday, May 1, 2015

1107 Olivia Street, Key West - an Old Town Buy!


Just Listed, but not by me, 1107 Olivia Street in Key West, Florida. This Old Town cottage was restored a few years back and looks great. The house was totally renovated in 2008 giving the interior and the outside a new lease on life. The house first appeared on the Historic Sanborn Fire Map dated 1899.  Other houses were in this block before that date, but they were numbered differently.  I cannot determine if this house was built before 1899, but I am sure that it existed as of that date. I found a photo of the house taken fifty years ago. The facade looks pretty much today like it looked in 1965. There is room on the front porch for people watching as they ride their bikes down Olivia Street which is a one-way street that runs west to east through Old Town.
The ground floor and second floor look entirely different today than they did when this house was built, of that I am certain. The front door opens into a center hall that expands as you walk into the house. The living room is located to the right while the kitchen and dining area are at the left. The ceiling is vaulted and gives the living area as a whole a much more expansive feel.
The house is presently furnished with several pieces of quite large furniture. There are two sets of French doors that lead out to the pool at the rear. There is a huge TV cabinet the hides one of the French doors. I think the space will both look larger and function better when it is furnished with more contemporary furniture.
This house has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. This home has a bedroom and bath located at the front of the house. Pocket doors open off the front hall to reveal the bedroom on one side while the bathroom (and laundry) are on the opposite side. The second bedroom and bath have an unconventional floor plan that is more "loft like". A door opens from the second floor bedroom out to the rooftop deck. This is a bonus space for total privacy when sunbathing au natural.

1107 Olivia Street is located one half block east of the Key West Cemetery. CLICK MAP to see location. Duval Street is a five to seven minute stroll. The shops, restaurants, galleries, gyms and assorted local businesses in the Truman and White arts district are just five minuets away. The Historic Key West Seaport can also within an easy walking distance. A full time homeowner or a tourist in town for a few days often measure the convenience of a property by how long it takes to get to a particular destination.
The property does not have off street parking. However, there is an abundance of off street parking nearby. I don't see that parking would be an issue for a full time owner. CLICK HERE to view the Key West mls datasheet on this property.

If you would like to see 1107 Olivia Street, please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Coastal Realty, Inc.  Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

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The information on this site is for discussion purposes only. Under no circumstances does this information constitute a recommendation to buy or sell securities, assets, real estate, or otherwise. Information has not been verified, is not guaranteed, and is subject to change.
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