The Big Story / Ka-Ching At The Truman Waterfront
By Rick Boettger
We have been debating the Truman Waterfront property since my wife Cynthia was attending “charrettes” a generation ago. So far, all we’ve got on the ground is a soccer field ex-Mayor Morgan Mcpherson created almost a decade past. And some horse stables. This is a huge embarrassment for not only our government, but for We The People, who have put up with this do-nothing-ever defeat of any initiative to do anything with this invaluable gift from our military.
The main sticking point is that we are supposed to have an income-generating feature in our plans. For a while, this was a marina. That was shot down when the Navy decided they didn’t want private yachts getting in the way of whatever imaginary military uses they might have of the docks. A second turtle hospital was shot down for other reasons I disagree with. Now, we’re stuck with the very controversial idea of a musical amphitheater.
The chances we can make money on an amphitheater are slim to none. We have many musical venues. Think of what a money-suck the huge auditorium at Key West High School is. They wanted one as big as Coral Shores’. It is a huge ongoing expense for A/C alone, with minimal paying customers. Besides being unfair government competition with the many private musical venues, an amphitheater at the Truman Waterfront is likely to be a money-loser, not a money-maker.
What would make money is free space, as in open parks with picnic areas having views of the water. How can free space make money? Ask our hard-core-bottom-line Tourist Development Council. They know that money spent on cleaning our beaches and supporting local arts gets more tourists in town, supporting the local economy.
I say, a simple park with precious green space on the waterfront is not only a great gift to us locals, but, like New York’s free Central Park, a huge draw for free-spending tourists. Add a minimalist cheap kids’ water park. We’ve seen these in Vancouver and Spain. No possibly dangerous slide, nothing elaborate and expensive. Just some shallow pools with four-foot-high spray nozzles sending out a mushroom of water for the kids to run around in. That creates another simple and cheap real draw for tourists to Key West.
All we have to do is explain this to the Navy in financial terms they can square with their policies. They are not against us. They actually want us to do something useful for our community. I think they will be open to understanding a plea made by the Tourist Development Council, especially if supported by our Chamber of Commerce, for the financial benefits created by a marvelous new public space.
It took twenty years for San Francisco to develop the Presidio. During that time, the famous Letterman Hospital fell into ruin. They were saved by the deus ex machina of Lucas Films’ moving from Marin County down to take over and renovate the old military offices and housing. If anyone knows any Google of Facebook gazillionaires who would like to make a social media complex there, please speak up now.
Otherwise, hey, Tourist Development Council, Chamber of Commerce, Truman Waterfront Advisory Board, and City Commissioners, anyone want me to write up the proposal for a passive, low-expense and thus profitable green space? I’m free this summer…..
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Green space is a great idea, along with a low maintenance water feature to draw the families. There are already plenty of music & “beverage” venues that we frequent. There is never enough green space along the waterfront. It would be nice to have a place to take the grand kids when they visit. I say GO for it!! Good Luck!
And what of the affordable living that we all voted for a year or so after I first landed on the island a dozen years or so ago? Has that just been a flutter in the wind buzzing over our heads? What a shame – and yes, an embarrassment for those of you still there – that never came to fruition, Rick! An amphitheater would only work if they scaled the prices way down from what the other venues charge, so that folks without much money could attend events, and of course, that would never happen there. The park is a must, if they do nothing else. And I mean a park with lots of shade-bearing trees, which you don’t have elsewhere. And lots of wide promenades for pedestrians and bikers, so people could really enjoy being there. And play fountains for the kids that spurt up at different intervals like so many cities have now. The kids love them and the adults love to watch them. Key West needs to get back to basics and a park like that would stretch a long way toward providing that relaxing atmosphere for families and singles, alike. Please push for it and get the city commission moving on it or it will indeed end up being a century before anything is done with that wonderful parcel of waterfront. And again, I realize I’m sticking my nose into local’s business when I’m no longer a local, but I think from having lived through it with all of you, that the locals want it as much as I do. Thanks, Konk Life, for letting me have my say on matters in Key West that are still dear to my heart.
When I said shade-bearing trees you don’t have elsewhere, I meant throughout the park, not the city, since you certainly have them throughout the streets of the island.