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Virginia, there are a bunch of them). It's also a drawing card for the upscale winter season crowd who rent
various long-term (and transient) vacation rentals. Many of them seem to love the idea of being able to go
shopping there by bicycle or on foot.
Should purely economic factors be considered when it comes to city owned properties and should the
properties go automatically to the highest bidder, without regard to certain factors which cannot be
quantified in financial terms?
It's a tough question, but one that our elected leaders should answer in unequivocal terms.
Below is the beginning of a sampling of current opinion.
It is with sadness, disappointment and comes as no surprise
that I read that the city of Key West has finally nailed the
coffin shut on the Waterfront Market, Buco Pantelis and his
45 employees. Just sit and watch, Lazy Lane Shops will soon
follow. I planned to write a letter about the upcoming elections
and this topic directly ties in with it.
There has not been a shining star sitting on the City
Commission for some time [who] I can give kudos to. What
geniuses have wronged this gem of the waterfront? Shame on
all of you. They were the No. 1 anchor tenant for [the] city. ...
Let's explore some of the changes to Key West and then you
think about which commissioner has made any impact:
l The decades old problem of trashy T-shirt shops on Duval
Street.
l North Roosevelt Boulevard and its sidewalks are in
shambles.
l The City Commission has let the cruise ships pull the wool
over their eyes and pollute the waters surrounding our
overdeveloped island and tap our precious resources.
l Hotel/condo conversions are yet another bright idea.
l How about affordable housing? Where is it?
l Parking meters; [the city has] dissuaded locals from shopping
and dining downtown.
l Wisteria Island; it would be a great place for an eco-friendly
day camp. Any commissioners want to put that to a
referendum?
l The 192-unit West Isle Club proposed condo acquisition,
Jabour's [Trailer] Park, Cay Clubs, Parrot Cay, Atlantic
Shores, the Santa Maria, Holiday Inn Beachside, the Quality
Inn down to Wreckers Bar and Grill, the Salt Ponds, etc.
Now what has the commission been doing to preserve the
future of Key West for their constituents? Nothing. You have
thrown the baby under the bus. The City Commission's
appetite for more development has been voracious and out of
control. Commissioners, you are the problem. Do what we
elected you to do — find us solutions.
I'll refer to a good friend's bumper sticker that says it all:
DON'T RE-ELECT ANYONE.
Curtis William Erling White, Key West
I am outraged at the callousness and
greed the city fathers have shown
towards Buco [Pantelis], Waterfront
Market and the local Key West Bight
community, as well as their apparently
complete and total disregard for all
those businesses, residents and visitors
dependent on the market. Their actions
will obviously have lasting
repercussions.
I would imagine that I am not alone in
my feelings, and that you will no doubt
receive numerous other
communications on the subject as this
story continues to progress and unfold.
Obviously, a representative slice of the
public outrage will be reflected in the
Citizens' Voice column, as well it should
be.
Far be it for me to tell you how to run
your newspaper, but might I suggest
that also at some future point, The
Citizen might serve the public well by
publishing a more comprehensive
collection of the comments you will
undoubtedly be receiving on this
subject? I suggest this in the hope that
it might help to enlighten the present
leaders of Key West as to what a blow
their actions have dealt to their city,
solely through their ignorance and
greed, and give them pause to reflect on
any potential effects of their future
actions.
Gordon W Petersen
Thank you very much, City of Key
West, for putting Waterfront Market
out of business. You short-sighted
[people] have cut the heart out of Old
Town.
Other communities support Farmers'
Markets. They know it adds to the
ambiance, and provides fresh produce
for the whole community. What happens
will tell us a lot about Key West.
If it weren't such a joke, the new city manager's
comment that 'The City can't afford to subsidize one
tenant more than others" might make sense. So the
City has subsidized a REAL necessity for Key West,
the Yacht Club, for how many years?....I can't
remember a time when every person in this town has
been so angry about anything.
Do any of the City know-it-alls even appreciate
shopping at the (Waterfront) Market? Apparently
you prefer packaged, frozen, overripe, unflavored,
overpriced foods that you drive your gas-hogging
vehicles out to [insert name of national grocery chain]
to buy. What a shame you continue to ruin Key West
with your greed.
Our City....really blew it this time and obviously have
no understanding of how important the Waterfront
Market is to our local community, businesses and
overall image of Key West.
I guess like most losses losing Waterfront Market
will really hit hardest and hurt the most when it's
actually gone. If you feel bad now, just wait. It will
feel worse.
If the City fails to negotiate a fair rate with the
Waterfront Market, then incumbent candidates
can kiss their chance of reelection good-bye.
Waterfront Market annual lease: $181,000.
Key West Yacht Club annual lease: $12.
Value of having a (well-appreciated)
neighborhood grocery store: priceless.
The Waterfront Market is an asset to the
community and many other food service
businesses in town. It adds a great deal to the
atmosphere of the waterfront that makes it
attractive and provides high quality produce,
seafood and meat that will be sorely
missed....Why don't we just pave the whole island
and charge for parking and views?
I find it extremely sad that NOW people are
having fits about what is happening to
Waterfront Market. Where were all of your
letters and appearances at City Commission
meetings when this (trend) started years ago?
Market closed, and I agree. If they want to raise
money, let's have market rate for the Yacht
Club, let's have market rate at the Bight. Are
you listening, Commissioners? Please do.
Well, Key West, you really dropped the ball on
losing Waterfront Market. And just wait and see
what charming chain moves in.
There have been abundant rumors in
general.
Eventually we'll find out, and we can only
hope that something will fill the void for this
type of operation, which has proved so
popular among our visitors and downtown
residents alike.
And we can only hope that we won't allow
the historic Key West Bight to become the
same kind of touristic monstrosity that, for
example, Cannery Row in Monterrey,
California was allowed to become many
years ago.
Key West City Commissioners
via e-mail
Click on this link
for their current e-mail addresses.
Something remarkable has taken place in our community, and I would like to give Mayor Morgan
McPherson due credit. It is the continued operating of Waterfront Market.
Four months ago, rumors of Waterfront Market's impending close was all that any of us talked about.
"Too bad," everyone said. "What a shame," I heard from many mouths. Worse, the word was that it was
"too late" for anything to be done about it....
Forty-five-plus households have members who are employed by Waterfront Market; our local fishermen,
crabbers and lobster men serve us and are in turn supported by Waterfront Market's seafood operation;
120-plus businesses and institutions — including the arguably top 40 restaurants on the Island — all get
the best produce available to the island from Waterfront Market; for 20 years, Waterfront Market has
provided donations of goods, services, space and foods annually to nearly every charity that has made a
request; Waterfront Market is the last to close and first to open before and after hurricanes; Waterfront
Market services the needs of the entire Key West Historic Bight and Marina's charter boat crews and
hundreds of supporting workers; it serves as support to the annual powerboat races, sailing yacht races,
boating expos, annual Waterfront events; a neighborhood grocery; favorite outlet for fine wines and fresh
seafoods.... The list goes on and on. Indeed, I say Waterfront Market's role in supporting our way of life
is easily likened to an infrastructural component such as electricity and water!
I publicly want to thank Mayor Morgan McPherson for his role in ensuring our community continues to
enjoy and benefit from the irreplaceable Key West institution which is Waterfront Market.
And as a member of the Friends of Waterfront Market's steering committee — whose goal is for our
community to purchase Waterfront Market and have it run as a cooperative similar to our prized member-
owned and not-for-profit Florida Key Electric Cooperative — I look forward to the day 10, maybe 20
years from now when we can look back at this time with pride in a community which came together to
offset disaster and forge a bold path for the continuance of our way of life into the future.
If you would like to join the Friends of Waterfront Market, you may sign up at
www.waterfrontmarketkw.com.
Mike Mongo, Friends of Waterfront Market, Key West 12-1-07
BY MANDY BOLEN
Citizen Staff
KEY WEST — Waterfront Market will continue normal operations for at least another three months,
possibly six, if city officials on Tuesday approve another opt-out lease extension.
Owner Buco Pantelis is operating the popular grocery store
under a new lease with the city that took 16 months to negotiate and finalize, but he was reluctant to
commit to the full 10-year term, saying he wanted to close or sell the business.
The city offered Pantelis an opt-out clause three months ago that gave him 90 days to remain open, and to
decide whether he would complete the full 10 years. That clause expires today, but city officials on
Wednesday offered another extension, this one for six months. That means Pantelis may continue to
operate, but has more time to consider the future of the store.
The new extension also requires Pantelis to give the city 90 days' notice if he doesn't intend to continue
the lease.
"I think the city realized that 30 days wasn't enough time for them to find another tenant if Buco did
decide to close," said Ginny Stones, an attorney for Pantelis.
Stones on Thursday said Pantelis remains in negotiations with two parties for the sale of the business.
One is a private company she did not name. The other is a community group working to raise money and
convert the market into a community-owned cooperative, which Pantelis has said he fully supports.
Richard Tallmadge, owner of The Restaurant Store in Key West, is organizing the co-op efforts among a
group known as Friends of Waterfront Market. Tallmadge said the group was instrumental in getting the
proposed extension on the City Commission agenda for Tuesday, with the support of Commissioner Bill
Verge, whose district includes the market and entire Key West Bight area.
"We're really happy that it's happening because our efforts for the cooperative will require more time and
a real concentrated effort," Tallmadge said. "This way we won't have to pursue it in panic mode."
The group is continuing its fundraising efforts to raise $1.5 million to buy the business from Pantelis, but
the cooperative idea keeps changing, Tallmadge said.
"It's very malleable and we're still realistically trying to figure out how best to move forward," he said,
commending the bight board and the city commissioners.
The commission will decide on the extension at its meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Old City Hall, 510
Greene St.
mbolen@keysnews.com
BY MANDY BOLEN
Citizen Staff
Waterfront Market will continue for another three to six months....
The City Commission on Tuesday gave market owner Buco Pantelis six months more to decide whether
he will sell, close or keep his popular waterfront business. The vote was not unanimous, with Mayor
Morgan McPherson dissenting.
He said the measure was "giving someone else the opportunity to use our property for six months while
he markets our property using a lease he claims is unfair." McPherson was referring to lease
negotiations that took 16 months, as part of the city's effort to bring its leases closer to market rates.
Pantelis is paying the new, higher rent. He must give the city 90 days' notice if he is leaving, according to
the new agreement.
mbolen@keysnews.com
12-5-07
City expected to OK lease transfer Tuesday
BY MANDY BOLEN
Citizen Staff
KEY WEST — Change is afoot at Waterfront Market, but it is all for the good, according
to owner Buco Pantelis, who plans to transfer his lease of the market to a national natural
foods company that will keep the store's name.
The Key West City Commission on Tuesday is expected to approve the lease reassignment
from Pantelis to the Connecticut-based United Natural Foods Inc., which will assume
operation of the business shortly thereafter, Pantelis said.
Pantelis, who has operated the popular and community-minded grocery store, seafood
market, deli and produce wholesaler for more than 20 years, will "hang around for a little
bit and help out," he said.
The new owners will appear before the Key West Bight Board Tuesday morning prior to
the City Commission meeting that evening. Once the bight board approves the lease, the
commission must finalize it.
A report from a company representative will accompany the discussion, including its
plans to continue and expand the business.
"We will continue to buy fresh fish from local fishermen," said Angela Langston of
United Natural Foods. "We plan to expand the deli area, offering more variety in freshly
prepared foods, such as cold foods, hot foods, soup, salad bar and ready-to-eat foods."
Langston also acknowledged Pantelis' commitment to the community, and said, "We
hope to maintain and, if possible, enlarge this commitment in our own way."
Seen week of 2/25/08
Affordable Housing
What's That?
Click Here
The Four Stages
Click Here
Key West
Neighborhood Associations
www.kwna.org
Monkey in the Cage
Just for Fun, but then
"Many a truth is spoken in jest"
Click Here
for more information
Bob Kelly's
The Real Key West
www.therealkeywest.blogspot.com
Key West Chronicle
www.keywestchronicle.blogspot.com
Rock Trueblood's Blog
www.rocktrueblood.blogspot.com
comments and alternative
viewpoints welcomed.
