Campaign and Happenings

I just want to take a space here and thank you for letting me listen to your concerns and issues, along with meeting most of the group! I enjoyed the evening and look forward to the next neighborhood meeting.

Please feel welcome to come to my campaign kick off happening this Monday, June 29Th, 5 - 7 pm, upstairs at La Te Da.

With regard to the Duval Corridor I am pleased to hear the discussions continue and the Chamber is taking interest appropriately so with private funding. We must capitalize on what we have here with Art, Music, etc., and use them to attract and keep visitors coming to our little island.

I am keeping an eye on all of the activities at the Truman Waterfront and can only say 'follow the money' for the best decision for We The People.

Side note, I enjoyed meeting with Mr. Greg Wythe, VP Key West of City View Trolley Tours. I am relieved to know he is open minded to look into the GLEE and Bahama Village, Black History areas of our Island. We had a wonderful discussion and I am looking forward to our next meeting. Contrary to what you may hear, he stated publicly at the Innkeepers Social he is only bringing 6 Trolleys to Key West.

James Marquardt


Here is the political disclaimer if needed:

Paid for and approved by James Marquardt candidate for District 6 City Commissioner.

Westernmost Key West

Perhaps this entry can be called a civic concern, or aesthetic, political, economic or all of the above. There is the appearance of major planning activity on the west end of our island. Specifically, there are three centers of activity concerning the Truman Waterfront and Duval Street Corridor:

A. The Duval Street Committee (chaired by Jimmy Weekley) has been meeting on a rather regular basis for a year and a half and is for the second time asking an urban planning firm to make a presentation to suggest ideas of how to rethink Duval as the hub of social life in Key West as it once was as well as an attractive area for visitors. Meanwhile, some six months ago, the Chamber of Commerce also showed interest in Duval redevelopment (my term) and initiated a similar effort with a different firm. The City’s committee and the Chamber are joining efforts in a City Commission workshop on Duval on June 30. Meanwhile, the Chamber is raising private money to inventory Duval businesses and perform related studies.

B. On another front, the city has received two responses to its Request for Qualifications to develop a commercial marina at the Truman Waterfront. One response, by “Key West Harbour” which claims local entrepreneurs and experienced port developers, deals with a marina only (2.4 acres) and the other, by “Meisel and Spottswood”, also a local and marina developer partnership, proposes developing the 23.9 acres that remain in that Navy conveyance. The City Commission workshops on those responses will be June 23^rd and 24^th.

C. Also in the mix is a Request for Proposals due June 30 for what is titled “Duval Street/Truman Annex Improvements”, significant money ($491,000 total but that may be shared with another project) from the Federal Department of Transportation to “provide design, engineering and construction engineering service [my italics; my understanding that this is just design money, not construction] for roadway transportation enhancements.”

Many efforts have preceded those currently underway, but this combination of efforts could be worthy of our attention (???)

Perry

Leaving the Mainland

We're new to the neighborhood - thought we'd introduce ourselves:

We're Chuck and Pauline Sherman, and we're in the little yellow house on the corner of Frances and Fleming. We've had it for about a year and a half now - been getting it ready for full-time residency, starting in about a week's time.

To say we like our little piece of the Rock is an understatement. No, not as a tourist would; rather as a member of a community out of time and place in today's high-speed access world. We've tried to explain the attraction to folks up north - yet to hit on the perfect combination of what makes the place. It's different - and in a good way.

Pauline is the reason for leaving the mainland - she has a rare genetic disorder which renders downward changes in temperature painful. It would be amusing to think she's allergic to the cold - perhaps that's the best way to explain it. Anyway, in our search for the perfect place to reset life we've landed here...and it's a great feeling.

We'd like to get to know our neighbors - the ones we've met so far have been great! It's a blessing to be able to live in a place as this - and discover the real benefit of the Rock are the people. Houses, palm trees and weather are all quite nice, but a community is comprised of the folks who populate it. So...please do not hesitate to stop by and introduce yourselves. in the meantime, we'll be doing the same - getting out and about to learn more of this wonderful place we now call...home.

Thanks,

Chuck and Pauline.