Developer Ed Swift's masterpiece, an electricity generating station, long abandoned and turned into expensive apartments. The only thing is he missed the gold rush by a couple of years and some of these splendid units at Caroline and Grinnell are still for sale, while some anxious purchases have filed suit according to The Citizen, accusing him of failing to meet completion deadlines. You'd think alls well that ends well as occupancy permits were issued last week, also according to the paper. .
Looking towards the Coastguard Station at three in the morning, and yes that would be my restored Bonneville parked on the yellow line:
The art deco theme works quite well for what used to be Key West's premier industrial plant. It was an electricity generating station built in the style of architecture that it seems to me was favored by Soviet state artists, all massive and geometric. At night it looks like the set off a Batman movie:
The front part of the building may look pretty much done, as far as construction goes, never mind the sales of the actual apartments...The back part though, the part overlooking the Coastguard Station and the waters of the Toxic Triangle doesn't look at all finished:
The art deco theme works quite well for what used to be Key West's premier industrial plant. It was an electricity generating station built in the style of architecture that it seems to me was favored by Soviet state artists, all massive and geometric. At night it looks like the set off a Batman movie:The front part of the building may look pretty much done, as far as construction goes, never mind the sales of the actual apartments...The back part though, the part overlooking the Coastguard Station and the waters of the Toxic Triangle doesn't look at all finished: The notion that someone might want to wander the construction area is unthinkable:
In a palazzo offering individual elevators to each apartment from each parking stall, so owners can ascend in stately solitude, this appears to be the trades men's entrance. A sort of communal entrance where ordinary people hustle on up, currently not ready for prime time judging by the wrapping tape on the hand rails:
The Steam Plant created the name Toxic Triangle for the waters that abut Trumbo Road, an awkwardly shaped body of water heavily polluted by the chemical effluents for the power plant. Nowadays the generator is become almost a garden:
Each line of approach, each door, has a sign reminding passersby that the good life is available for a modest, if necessary payment. The begging is carried out in grand style on the main billboard:
The side of the building that faces downtown Key West, and more immediately Caroline Street and the ferry terminal also looks out over the landscaped garden surrounded by its black spiky fence:
There is something thoroughly dorky about all these fences and security and the main gate, complete with gate code, is wide open and totally unlocked:
And there it sits all imposing and massive, rather like an iceberg, dominating Trumbo Road:
If you happen to have around three million dollars (21 million yuan) going spare, a piece of this could be yours. Who're ya gonna call?
In a palazzo offering individual elevators to each apartment from each parking stall, so owners can ascend in stately solitude, this appears to be the trades men's entrance. A sort of communal entrance where ordinary people hustle on up, currently not ready for prime time judging by the wrapping tape on the hand rails:The Steam Plant created the name Toxic Triangle for the waters that abut Trumbo Road, an awkwardly shaped body of water heavily polluted by the chemical effluents for the power plant. Nowadays the generator is become almost a garden:Each line of approach, each door, has a sign reminding passersby that the good life is available for a modest, if necessary payment. The begging is carried out in grand style on the main billboard:The side of the building that faces downtown Key West, and more immediately Caroline Street and the ferry terminal also looks out over the landscaped garden surrounded by its black spiky fence:There is something thoroughly dorky about all these fences and security and the main gate, complete with gate code, is wide open and totally unlocked:And there it sits all imposing and massive, rather like an iceberg, dominating Trumbo Road:If you happen to have around three million dollars (21 million yuan) going spare, a piece of this could be yours. Who're ya gonna call? 
11 comments:
And the best laid plans of mice and men.
Have you seen the pictures of the "individual pools on the roof of each unit!" ? They appear to be the size of two hots tubs. I wouldn't even call them dipping pools.
Regardless, the saga of the Steamplant has been interesting to follow. At least the worker housing was actually completed! Although there are a few units there for sale and supposedly in short-sale or foreclosure status.
I find it interesting when people are "looking for an investment" when the market was flying high and would tell others phrases like "I got in on the ground floor" or "it was bought as an investment, it can only go up", etc (especially when buying over priced properties).
Then when the market turns around, they cry afoul "I was mislead", "The developer over inflated the expected return" and file a lawsuit.
I always the thought the definition of an investment was "risk for return" or am I wrong?
Perhaps I am turning into an ironist?
Skepticism is just fine and more people need to use it when it comes to determining values. I tell people sometimes that it is worth what you can sell it for. Not what a developer, or a banker might say. Tomorrow or yesterday, the value can be much different.
It amazes me what they are asking. You can buy very nice houses with very nice pools, etc in Key West for less than one of their condos. But I guess mullets are born everyday.
-Peace
What is going on with the crime? Sounds like there is a crime wave going on. A former city council member got mugged the other night and a tourist got mugged as well.
A candidate for city commission was hit from behind and robbed shortly after another man was robbed the same way a few blocks away. Both attacks occurred around the cemetery and neither involved guns. Detectives are questioning some people according to the newspaper. I don't ask questions at work about stuff that doesn't concern me to avoid knowing anything I don't need to know and doesn't need to be made public..
It's tempting to think the bad economy is provoking some people, personally I think some bad people need to be lifted off the streets and I hope they are soon.
I've always said key west is safe to walk around at night, but I'm not saying that at the moment. Don't walk around drunk or vulnerable or looking for drugs and the odds are you should be fine. One of the victims was beaten so badly he was flown to Miami, not in danger of dying but with severe facial injuries according to the paper. Finger pointing to follow i'm sure.
Conchscooter,
Thanks for the information. I'm one of your fans from Montana (the guy who donated to the Wesley House and asked for a picture of one of the pickets- Thanks!) and will be in your fine city in 111 days for Meeting of the Minds. I guess we just have to keep an eye open and walk strongly just like we do here when we are walking and watching for bears and mountain lions.
I hope the crime levels off before November.
Bob
This is a small town and it just takes a little while for the names to filter through to the investigators. That said I am going to avoid groups and I will be looking over my shoulder when I take my midnight walks. Hell, I nearly got killed on Highway One this morning when some cretin came close enough to rufflke my pant leg while passing a car head on at me on a bridge. Luckily I was paying attention and saved my life by getitng out of his dumbass way...
Four suspects are in jail. Peace returns to Key West streets.
Glad you survived the brush with the idiot this morning. One of the things I have noticed since trading the sportster for the Road King is that the two additional driving lights on the front of the Road King seems to get peoples attention a bit more than the single headlight the sporty had.
But, idiots don't pay attention to anything. Glad you were on top of your game and able to avoid.
-Peace
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