The City of Key West seeks proposals for the new Douglass Community Center that will celebrate the vibrant and distinguished history of the Bahamian culture and generations of families who have worked and lived in the Bahama Village neighborhood. The new Center will be home to a spacious main hall, classrooms, recording studio and practice rooms for music students of the Bahama Village Music Program and more. The site of the new building, along with a garden and performance space sits on the land of the original 1870 school house named for the great African-American orator and abolitionist, Frederick Douglass.

The mission for the commissioned public art in the City of Key West is to enhance the character and identity of our island community through the aesthetic of original, site-specific public artworks. Artwork will strive to educate, celebrate and preserve our cultural heritage and diversity to reflect Key West's population.
​
 The total budget for this project is $75,000. For more information, and to apply, please visit www.keysarts.com homepage for a link to the PDF application. Please note that all proposals must be submitted on time. Application deadline for RFP is Wednesday, September 25, 2024 by 3:00 pm EST.

Mayor Teri Johnston and the City Commission teamed up with the Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU to recognize the Truist Monroe Commercial Team as the winner of the 2024 Community Partner of the Year for Monroe County.

BB&T first opened in the City of Key West in 2004 and became Truist Bank in 2019.

“Truist’s purpose is to inspire and build better lives and communities,” reads the proclamation, “with a focus on meeting client needs, empowering teammates, and lifting up communities.”

The Truist Monroe Commercial Team emphasizes support and services small businesses in the City of Key West and Monroe County. Since 2021, Truist has partnered with the Florida Small Business Development Center at FIU on 18 financial and growth trainings for 206 small business owners in the City of Key West, providing them with coaching, information and resources to start and grow their businesses.

The City of Key West and its consultants at Stantec are kicking off another public workshops regarding the Duval Street Revitalization and Resiliency project.

The public workshop will be held at the Historic Gato Building at 1100 Simonton Street on Thursday, April 4th.
The workshop will be broken into different sessions. From 9 a.m. until noon, the focus is on business and property owners along Duval Street. From 3 p.m. until 6 p.m. it will be more geared to the general public. Closing remarks will be from 6 p.m. until 6:30 p.m.

The City of Key West is committed to helping residents and businesses prepare for the changes brought on by climate change through resiliency and revitalization efforts. To that end, this Duval Street project is a top community and City priority. With community awareness and public engagement being critical components to the success of these efforts, the City of Key West has created a website --  Duval4All.com -- to increase the level of community involvement and keep the community informed at all stages of the official Duval Street Resiliency and Revitalization project.

In December, the Key West City Commission unanimously passed a resolution declaring December 25th as "Favorite Son of the Conch Republic Day" in memory of the late Jimmy Buffett. The proclamation, spearheaded by local enthusiast Paul Menta and endorsed by Mayor Teri Johnston, pays tribute to Buffett's profound influence on Key West's cultural fabric and economic prosperity. Recognizing Buffett's enduring legacy, which spans from his Island roots at Crazy Ophelia's, Howie's Lounge, the Chart Room, and Captain Tony's to his global impact through music and entrepreneurial ventures, the proclamation underscores his role in shaping Key West's laid-back lifestyle and promoting it to the world.

To commemorate Buffett's contributions as Key West's favorite son and pioneer of the Trop Rock movement, on Thursday the City Commission green-lighted a city-wide celebration of Jimmy's legacy to be held during Labor Day weekend. The events will take place  from August 29th to September 2nd, 2024 and will include themed events, dinners, sailing excursions, tours, contests, and performances at various venues across the island, many of which hold sentimental significance for Buffett and his fans.

The highlight of the week-end long extravaganza will be a lively walking 'second line' parade on Sunday, September 1 at 5pm, featuring a marching band procession along Duval Street. The parade will culminate at Truman Waterfront Park, where attendees will enjoy a free "friends of Jimmy" concert experience and festival activities.

In true Parrot Head fashion, community engagement lies at the heart of “It's 5 o'clock Key West” endeavors. For a $30 donation, supporters will receive a commemorative souvenir Parade Pass. The proceeds will be managed by the nonprofit Community Foundation of the Florida Keys and distributed to the Bahama Village Music Program to inspire local young musicians and Reef Relief, stewards of our ocean environment, a cause important to Jimmy. The Sunday event will take place both in person and virtually. With the purchase of a lanyard, guests anywhere in the world can be a part of the festivities tuning in to watch the action unfold online while celebrating alongside at home. For local guests, the donation will offer access to special perks and offers from valued local partners.

"We're thrilled to launch the inaugural It's 5 o'clock Key West celebration in honor of Jimmy Buffett, an icon beloved by locals and fans worldwide," expressed Menta. "We invite everyone to join us over Labor Day weekend for a memorable tribute to this extraordinary ambassador of the Conch Republic. Stay tuned for updates on the full lineup of events, charitable initiatives, and ways to get involved."

For more information and updates on the It's 5 o'clock Key West celebration, visit www.its5oclockkeywest.com and https://www.facebook.com/Its5oclockkeywest

November 21, 2023
 
Triangle landscaping project update:
​
The contractor has been approved by FDOT to work from 7:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m. beginning Monday, November 27th. The permit extends through December 8th.
Daytime traffic flows should not be affected.

Mayor Teri Johnston, the City Commission, and Code Compliance Director Jim Young have awarded The Capitana Key West hotel the first monthly Keep Key West Beautiful Award.
​
The new award recognizes the exceptional efforts of businesses that have significantly improved their property. Each month, the Mayor and City Commission will be recognizing the business during their regular meeting.
The beautifully done Capitana is located at 2401 North Roosevelt Blvd. General Manager Mark Vose accepted the award.

September 12, 2023 - From September 18th through October 6th, specialized trucks with the name “wood” on the side will be driving Key West streets collecting LiDAR data to evaluate the city’s road elevations.  LiDAR stands for Light Imaging Distance and Ranging and will enable the City to better plan, prioritize and budget elevation projects by vastly improving its street elevation data. The effort is part of a larger strategy to strengthen and harden the City’s infrastructure and facilities in accordance with anticipated sea level rise as well as storm surge and flooding. Staff is already preparing to use the data to further stormwater, tidal, and sea level rise planning projects.

“We want the citizens of Key West to be fully informed about our efforts to protect the City and anticipate future areas of concern,” said Key West Sustainability Coordinator Alison Higgins.  “These maps are important groundwork for our upcoming Climate Adaptation Plan.” 

Wood Environmental and Infrastructure Solutions Inc. has performed LiDAR surveys for Monroe County and all other incorporated areas, working north to south. In Key West, Wood will evaluate 72 miles of road and the first floor elevations for critical facilities. Wood crews will be setting up the control survey for Key West in mid-September, by either painting or taping temporary arrow-like markings onto City streets. These markings are used to help the scanner match images together to enable a centimeter’s accurate picture of our road elevations. 

To stay up to date on the City’s Climate Adaptation Plan, go to www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov and look for the notify me button.  From there you can sign up to receive updates via email.

September 11, 2023 - City officials and the community gathered on Friday to kick off the construction of the new Frederick Douglass Community Center with a groundbreaking ceremony.

The project will replace the entire wing off the Douglass Gym, located in Bahama Village on Olivia Street.

This $8 million dollar project will house the renowned Bahama Village Music Program, providing a platform for budding musicians.

The center's design will accommodate sports, art, learning, and social activities. It will host after-school tutoring, adult education, nutrition education, and small business incubation. This hub will feature a learning center, a senior activity area, a 2,600 square foot main hall, and an event kitchen.
​
The Community Center is expected to be up and running by January of 2025.

August 30, 2023 - It’s time to plan your float for the upcoming Key West Holiday Parade on December 2nd!

Floats can be of any length but must be maneuverable and no more than 15 feet wide and 12 feet high. Each entry requires monitors. The number of entries is limited to 55.

Entry forms must be received by no later than Monday, November 21st at 4 p.m. The parade takes place on Saturday, December 2nd beginning at 7 p.m. at the corner of White Street and Truman Avenue.
​
Applications and details are available on the City’s web site at http://www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov  under special events or you can call Maria at 305-809-3881.