Truman Waterfront

Truman Waterfront for the time being continues to look a trifle dishevelled as the 34 acres of open space await their fate.Plans for the former Navy land are being drawn up and considered. The newspaper reported recently that the city rejected an offer to work out some options by a land use planning group that would have charged $20,000. Taken on it's face the move seemed like a good one, until one read the fine print. A group of residents wants to turn the building seen above, a former Navy warehouse into a local farmer's market which isn't as absurd as you may think considering the vast farming enterprises growing all kinds of food in Homestead, 130 miles away.The planners rejected by the city could have formalized this back to the Earth citizen's movement and given it structure, so it's dismissal on the grounds of cost seems spurious at best. More likely it seems the alternative , low key planning threatened the nonsensical marina plan and upscale shopping experience suggested by Spottswood-Meisel.
I don't see much in the way of community value to be placed in a project that promotes more Miami-style upscale development when this waterfront open space could be used for the people who live in town and who don't arrive by yacht. In the end I am a county resident and don't vote in city elections so I stand on the sidelines and watch the tussle from a far. Cheyenne and I enjoy it exactly as it is but this open space is a bonanza in the making and leaving it well enough alone is no option at all. In many communities across the fruited plain one has come to find recycling in effect as an obvious community resource to cut costs. Not in Key West but these cans are a fresh start here at Truman Waterfront at least:In other development news I was saddened to hear what I believe is only a rumor. It seems the plan to convert the Waterfront Market building into a brew pub may be foundering. Apparently the Bight Board (the city owns the properties around the waterfront) says a brewpub is not compatible with other used. Like the Turtle Kraal? Half Shell/ Conch Republic Seafood? Huh? I hope this rumor proves to be unfounded. Mind you there is a move for a bowling alley to go into the former Waterfront Market which isn't a bad idea. Personally I'd rather the rent for the empty, vast spacious Silver Eagle distributing warehouse on North Roosevelt were able to accommodate a bowling alley and game parlor (pool anyone?) and decent beer be brewed on the waterfront. I would like that compromise a lot. I hope the rumors of brewing's demise are just that.