Commissioners, drawing heavily on the advice of their staff attorney and planner, gave the OK to developer Pritam Singh to build a 96-room hotel -- think Truman Annex and the Parrot Key Hotel and Resort -- at the vacant former site of Jabour's Trailer Court; and approved a concept from Chris Schultz, part owner of The Porch beer and wine bar and 2-Cents restaurant, to open a microbrewery, bar and restaurant in the former Waterfront Market.
Each item drew only one voice of opposition by way of one resident objecting to the density of the proposed hotel site, and another to the plan to have live music performed on the rooftop of the so-called Waterfront Brewery.
Commissioners also unanimously approved plans for the Waterfront Brewery.
Formerly home to the grocery store Waterfront Market, the concrete block structure, built in 1970, has sat vacant for about two years. The city owns the building. A lease would be negotiated with Schultz and partner Todd Manuel.
Public comments in support of the brewery focused on how a new manufacturing industry would be created.
Karrie Carnes, spokeswoman for the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and an avid home brewer, played up the emerging market of craft-beer tourism.
"Craft-beer tourism is the new wine tourism," she said. "Beer tourism is a burgeoning industry. Basically, this brewery would put Key West on a new map."
August 2nd, 2012, Per Key West, Top Producing Real Estate agent, Fred Mullins, “ It's great to see Key West expanding business wise in todays economy.
When asked to elaborate, Fred remarked, “This clearly shows that our local economy is strong and growing. Both of these new enterprises will mean more jobs plus this will further add more reasons for tourists to come to Key West plus give our local residents more recreational options.
When asked how this could directly affect the Key West Real Estate market, Fred further remarked, " Two reasons.
1. More businesses like these, means more jobs, which results in more housing needs.
2. More Tourists always results in more people looking to own a piece of paradise and our great lifestyle. In fact statistics show that almost 50% of our residents visited here and fell in love with it.
About Fred Mullins.
Fred has more than 15 years of cross functional experience in real estate, international asset management and construction management. He has been a part of the management team for several Fortune 100 companies, including AT&T, Visa, FPL and C. B. Richard Ellis.
His responsibilities have included real estate / property management portfolios of more than 9 million square ft. and international responsibilities in more than 10 countries.
Fred holds an MBA, B.S., real estate license, mortgage broker’s license, USCG Master Captains license and commercial pilot’s license.
