The time none of us dared to hope for has arrived. The Key West Bight (aka, "The Key West Historic Seaport") is out of the red and into the black.
Now we don't have to worry that the city won't be able to make the bond payments, and that the Bight will be lost to exclusive development. But the fight for the soul of the Bight is just getting started.
A couple of years ago, the Bight began undergoing a major transformation. And while the development there is better than some of the horrors we see around town, that's not good enough. As a community we must reexamine what the bight means to both locals and visitors, and then define a clear vision for its future. But first, we must confront the immediate threats to the character and economic well being of the Bight.
One of the biggest of these is a plan to raise the dockage fees for Bight marina tenants, who already live a tenuous existence because they are limited to month-to-month leases. Among other problems, this situation allows the city to force tenants to leave for two weeks each year to accommodate out-of-town boaters during Yacht Race Week.
Assistant City Manger John Jones cites an eight-year-old marketing plan as justification for the proposed dockage fee hike. When Mr. Jones first brought up the marketing plan at a Bight Board meeting a few months ago, he was the only person there with a copy. Most of the tenants present— and even some Bight Board members— had not even known that the plan existed.
We have to question the wisdom of inflexibly following a plan that was developed for a much different Bight eight years ago— especially since the city hasn't been too strict about following the plan before. Suggested uses of buildings have been ignored or changed, and projects not foreseen in the plan— including the Train Historeum and the immense Buquebus ferry terminal— have been added.
Proponents of increased dockage fees repeat the mantra of getting the "highest and best use" (HABU) out of Bight space— in other words, that the city should engage in the same kind of short-sighted price gouging that exists on Duval Street. Under the HABU model, the loyalty and sustainability of tenants are not considered, only the maximum possible rent that can be wrung out of them.
But best interests of community should come before short-term greed. Dependable long-term tenants who pay reasonable rents will be much better for the Bight— and for Key West taxpayers— than a series of businesses that fail because they can't afford their rent. The Bight doesn't need the kind of rapid turnover we see on Duval Street.
If the city really wants to get market value rents for its properties it should start with sweetheart deals like the Chamber of Commerce's $10 per month rent at Mallory Square and the Key West Yacht Club's $1 annual lease. These two entities can certainly afford to pay market value rent and should voluntarily re-negotiate their leases with the city. There is no fairness in the treatment these most privileged city tenants receive and the very different treatment the least privileged city tenants at the Bight marina receive.
The crisis at the Key West Bight stems from the usual shortcomings of our city government: A lack of vision and and a lust for the short-term buck. People who care about this unique Key West treasure must demand that our mayor and commissioners step in to ensure that what happens at the Bight supports the long-term best interests of our community and truly reflects the vision of the people who voted for the city purchase of the Bight.