The Projects of Key West, Update May 2018

I have been posting blogs periodic blogs about the ongoing projects of Key West for the past several years. Today's blog is a continuation of that series along with some comments on trends I am seeing which reflects prices being paid for land when new construction is favored over renovation or restoration.

Long time readers know that the City of Key West has an Historical Architectural Review Commission (HARC) which has an established set of "Guidelines" that are enforced as if they are statutory mandates.  Several years ago HARC identified by address each house or property in the Old Town and nearby neighborhoods which were designated or non-contributing structures as a basis to evaluate future changes to each property. lines.

The guidelines have become more intrusive and constrictive over the years. What residents could do just a few years previous may now not be allowed. An example is the addition of a dormer to the side or rear of a roof to provide more interior living space.  Prior to the advent of HARC, dormers were commonly used in the historic district when homeowners created more usable spaces in attics. Prior guidelines focused on views from the street but not intrude to other areas as well. I believe HARC sees its mission to protect the houses from owners. I do understand the HARC new guidelines strive to clarify what may be done in future projects. I think what they have done is to make the approval process more demanding which in turn makes the cost of renovation or new construction more expensive. This has created a deleterious impact on the overall cost of homes in the Key West area. Other parts of the Lower Keys are not subject to HARC guidelines where the price homes is lower. 

I distinctly remember walking past the two matching Victorian homes at 701 and 707 Fleming Street several times during my first visit to Key West in the early 1980s. I marveled at how beautiful these houses looked as compared to so many of the homes in Key West at that time. Later, I learned that these twin homes had been renovated by Broadway producer Jerry Herman and his partner. The homes were updated on the inside but left the historic facade remained nearly unchanged.  More than 34 years later they still look grand although threes and foliage have grown to great proportions. Today the number of large and small homes in the Old Town area which appear to be in a state of disrepair has shrunk immensely.

Let's take a look at various projects currently underway or recently completed.

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 shows a single totally different which had existed for at least ten years earlier. This suggests the two twin buildings were built sometime between 1899 and 1912.  A narrow concrete block addition was added to the two 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 taken hours after Hurricane Irma passed Key West showed no damage to either building which is remarkable as they theoretically stood vulnerable to the driving winds. Nothing happened to either structure.  .

522 Simonton Street
This iconic home sat vacant for several years and was uncared for many years prior to that. The new owner has begun a thorough renovation and expansion. For now all we can see is clean-up to the front. I expect big things to occur here.

524 Grinnell Street
This unassuming little cigar maker cottage is getting a major renovation by one of the best contractors in town from bottom to top and front to back. This house is located on one of the best blocks in Old Town.

The contractor made many more improvements than you can see in these photos including replacing piers under the building which gives the structure a new solid base upon which to sit. Interior walls were removed and rooms were reconfigured to modern lifestyle.  Historic exterior clapboards were scrapped and sanded for the new paint job. A new front porch was added, but the historic metal roof has been maintained up to this point.

713 Galveston Lane
The historic cottages of Galveston Lane (located just off Windsor Lane as it moves from Elizabeth Street to the Key West cemetery) by Works Projects Administration photos taken in the heart of the Great Depression. Most of the cottages have been renovated. The house at 713 Galveston was updated but its two tiny bedrooms and lack of pool made it a candidate for expansion.

744 Windsor Lane
Located about one block east of the 713 Galveston Ln cottage is this over-the-top Key West residence that combined two fairly large houses into one large estate which was purchase two years ago for over $3.6 million. The owners decided to improve things a bit which included renovation of some interior spaces, redoing the front facade and garden, and total transformation of the huge backyard and outdoor living spaces. Landscape architect Craig Reynolds is doing the pool and gardens. He's the best in town. I am looking forward to see what happens Until then I will share photos of the front.

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 commercial structure was 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. CLICK HERE to view progress photos.

704 Eaton Street
I wrote about this house in an earlier blog 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 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 work. Well, the lot was legally sold and cleared of its legally protected Royal Poinciana tree and a new commercial building now sits on that lot.  Race car driver Dale Earnhardt Jr purchased 704 Eaton Street and recently completed the total renovation of that house. I have not been inside but I can tell you the place looks great from the exterior. Earnhardt helped in the renovation which was documented for television.  

I walked past 704 Eaton Street hours after Hurricane Irma passed over Key West. You can't see it from the above photo, but the back end of the house was totally gone - not from the storm, but removed during renovation. The house withstood the winds. This is one of the main features of Key West homes that many buyers don't understand. This house has typical balloon framing where the exterior walls hold up the structure. Even with one major part of the house missing, this old house stood up to Hurricane Irma which destroyed many mid-century houses up the Keys. This home deserves a ceramic star for renovation. Job very well done! CLICK HERE to view progress photos.

828 Elizabeth Street
I wrote about 828 Elizabeth Street in 2015 when it was listed for sale. A friend of a friend owned it. I tried to put a good spin on the house thinking it could be a good renovation project. I had a buyer who liked the two story house that set in the X zone just two blocks from Duval Street. It has off street parking on Olivia Street and seemed like it had a lot of positive things going for it.After meeting with a very knowledgeable general contractor I suggested that my buyer not make an offer sensing the renovation costs would be staggering for his budget. I was correct for that buyer. The house was purchased, much of the exterior was taken off, the house was uplifted and new piers added, framing was added, and a rear addition put in place. Somewhere along the way the builder jacked up the second floor to place new sections to increase the floor height on both first and second floors. These additions gave this house a whole new spatial aesthetic. It will make this space much more in tune with modern day living.

Locals and returning guests may recognize the corner as being the former location of Seven Fish restaurant. I recently found a photo of that building which also shows 828 Elizabeth in the background, In earlier days the Seven Fish place was known as EDDIE'S LITTLE Luncheonette. It will be interesting to see how this renovation turns out and how much this location changes as well.

1107 Southard Street
I wrote about this old house a couple of times a few years ago when it was offered for sale. It had been in the same family for generations.  The house had fallen into sad and deep disrepair. Renovation was started and then delayed because for various reasons. The exterior looks to be nearing completion. Local folk artist Ronny Bailey created one of his famous homages to this property which is shown immediately below and followed by progress photos of the renovation. CLICK HERE to view progress photos of this home.

1109 Fleming Street
One block to the north is 1109 Fleming Street which is a much larger property than meets the casual eye. The eyebrow house was expanded a couple of times by previous owners who did not do a very good job in my opinion. The current owner appears to be righting the wrongs. The lot runs quite deep and has access off Stickney Lane at the rear where a second home existed. When I recently photographed the front house I could see what appears to be all new construction at the rear. This project is a great example of what I have been seeing in many houses over the past few years. These owners are now updating houses that were previously renovated but most of which done cheaply or without good design aesthetic. To some this may seem like a waste of money and resources. I see this as an investment in the future. Houses that are well done will always be in demand.

1506 Grinnell Street
Finally, there is a major new house being on the corner lot at Johnson and Grinnell Street. Johnson Street has become one of the most desired locations in Key West. It will be interesting to see what is constructed on this lot. The property shown below was purchased in December 2015 for $1.3 million and razed to construct a new home. It is normal for a buyer to pay more than a million dollars for a tear down house in the Casa Marina Area. Expect that!

There are several new homes being built in the Casa Marina east area. Most of these homes are being built on lots that average 5000 sq ft or larger. In most cases Mid-century homes were razed to allow construction of these new FEMA compliant homes constructed to Florida's strict building codes. New building materials and techniques are used to create homes more resistant to hurricane force winds and which are energy efficient. Some look better than others. This is the face of the new Key West. No matter what part of town a house is located, you can rest assured a buyer won't get a deal by purchasing a fixer-upper.  Contractors know the value of a renovated home and will do their best to charge the homeowner every last dollar they can so that the finished home will end up costing what it would be worth on re-sale. The buyer will, however, get the home he or she, is willing to pay for.

2312 North Roosevelt Boulevard
Longtime readers may recall a blog three years ago for the former Banner Tire property. That property was purchased, razed, and a new SONIC Drive-in is being built in its place. The building site is being elevated to comply with new flood elevation rules. The new building will join in the Renaissance underway on North Roosevelt Blvd.

If you are thinking of buying a place in Key West, please consider contacting me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West. Let me help you find your place in Paradise.

Key West has Fake Grass

During the height (or depth) of the 2008 Recession (which lasted into 2012 or so), I was taking photos of a bank owned home located in the South of Truman Area of Old Town Key West. A neighbor came outside to talk to me and told me a family member of his used to own the bank owned property. And then he related the tales of woe as to what lead to the demise of the once prized property.

As we stood in front of his personal abode he told me worked for the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority, our local water company. I noticed the entire front yard and visible side yard of his house was covered in cement. He told me the back yard was cement as well. He said he did not want to have to deal with trees or shrubs or anything that required care. This man looked to be in his mid-twenties, too young to be so lazy, I thought. But after that chance meeting I learned many locals have long favored concrete to anything requiring human maintenance.

The house shown above was located on a sweet lane in the North of Truman area of Old Town. As you can see that house had cement painted green to give a fake grass effect. After that home was sold and renovated, the new owner added a pool which requires electricity, a pool boy, chemicals, and an occasional dip and or dunk. Fake grass is cheaper to maintain, but a dip in a pool is preferred to a dunk in cement.

800 Fleming Street No. 3-B, Key West, Florida

The asking price for the top floor unit at 800 Fleming Street 3-B was just reduced to $875,000. That makes this unit a buying opportunity in my opinion. This is one of the earliest and finest renovated buildings in Key West and it certainly enjoys the prime location of about any single property in Old Town. The historic seaport is located three small blocks to the north and Duval Street is located three blocks west. You can be at any incredible Old Town location in a matter of minutes by foot. And when you return home you will be in the highest location in this part of town. Each home has one car space just in case you have the need to drive.

The shared pool is sunny most of the day. I have only seen real people sunning or playing there on the few occasions I have shown units at this location. The fact is that most pools go unused most of the time. They are great selling features that lure prospective buyers into envisioning themselves laying in sun or playing in the pool. But reality sets in when you have a life and find the need to make money or spend it. 

There are two different ways to enter this third floor unit. There is the traditional entry at the side door on William Street where an interior staircase leads to the third floor entry foyer.  I took the exterior staircase located inside the property and just opposite the parking area where each unit has an assigned space. There are two units on the south side both of which have views of the pool. It's just that this unit has the better of the two views. The spaces inside this unit are voluminous. I think a new owner will have a ball decorating the space.

 The kitchen is a bit old but not ancient. A companion of mine suggested taking out part or all of the wall behind the sink and opening the area. The foyer is located on the other side. Opening that space might make a lot of sense and that would give a new homeowner the chance to really make this space personal.

Other unit owners have added mini-split ACs. There is space on the side where this could be done. These units operate like a whisper and do not make any noise common in traditional window or all units which, though cheap to replace, are expensive to operate as compared to mini-splits.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS for 800 Fleming Street Unit 3-B now offered at $875,000. Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642, to schedule a showing. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Property Key West.

Two Presidents in Key West

President Trump was in Key West a few weeks ago. I once said I wouldn’t walk across the street to see him even if he came here. But when it was announced that he was coming and would be driving past the block where I live, I did walk to the corner to watch him pass. 

I stood in the glaring sun for twenty or thirty minutes at the corner of Von Phister and White Street. The motorcade turned from Atlantic Boulevard onto White Street and sped towards us at lighting speed. First there were several Key West motorcycle police, then a few black SUVs with flashing lights, and then the Presidential limousine. The limousine sped down White at a breakneck speed as if fleeing from something. A few more SUVs, two ambulances, and maybe one hundred Monroe County Sheriff motorcycle patrolmen followed. Gone and done in sixty seconds or so. What was he fleeing? Why so fast? I am really serious. Why so fast?  These few people on the side of the streets were not going to hurt him.

Contrast that photo which I borrowed off Instagram to the historic photo of President Harry S Truman leaving church service in Key West decades earlier.  Truman was just sitting in a convertible with a pal.

317 Catherine Street, Key West

I have lived in Key West for the past 23 years and have watched as this little old drinking town with a fishing problem has changed, much for the better, and sometimes for the worse. But it is still the place I would rather be than any other place on Earth.

The two above photos show 317 Catherine Street photographed about 53 years apart. The black and white photo was taken in 1965 and the color photo just recently. The house, built around 1923,  was typical for many of the other houses in the area. It was small, but it was big enough for the family that made it their home. Over the past four decades much of the Old Town and nearby neighborhoods have undergone a Renascence. According to the Monroe County Property Appraiser records, this house was nearly totally re-built from the piers to roof, exterior and interior, in the period of 2006 to 2010.  And the owner did a damned good job. The house is solid and very attractive, both from the street and from inside the home to the guest cottage at the rear and the pool in between.

The front door and back door line up. That's why this home is often referred to as a shotgun style house because in the old days one could shoot a gun clean through the house. I know that I have written many times about the way Key West homes are now re-oriented with the bedrooms up front and living areas at the rear which open out to the pool. Many are but that is not a mandate imposed by any architectural design director. Key West hasn't gone that far (yet) in telling owners what they may do with their homes. This owner chose to put the living area up front, bath in the center, and main bedroom at the rear of the house. Everything you see in the photos is new.

This house and rear cottage were very well thought-out.  The covered rear porch provides a nice shaded area to sit and do nothing as well as a place to retreat from the sunny pool and also to eat. You have no idea how many self-designed homes forget to include a porch or shades area. Not every one wants to spend all day in the sun. The rear cottage is small, but it includes a half bath and mini-kitchen or sorts. There is a small fridge and microwave where guests can make something to eat without walking through the main bedroom early in the morning to go the kitchen. There is an outdoor shower at the side of the rear cottage - note there are hooks for multiple towels. Just sayin'. Finally, there is a wide path from the front to the rear cottage. Guests won't have to walk through the house after a late night on Duval Street which is located just two streets to the east. Fort Zach Beach and Park are a five minute walk to the west.

CLICK HERE to view the Key West MLS datasheet and listing photos of 317 Catherine Street.  Then please call me, Gary Thomas, 305-766-2642. I am a buyers agent and a full time Realtor at Preferred Properties Key West.