Additional soil contamination near the site of the planned workforce housing development on College Road has further delayed the start of construction on the affordable rental complex.
A new, small area of pesticide-contaminated soil on city-owned land off College Road on Stock Island needs to be removed before the Florida Department of Environmental Protection will give the go-ahead for construction to begin. The location of the polluted soil is a parcel adjacent to the planned housing complex currently rented by the Florida Keys Aqueduct Authority. It should be removed sometime next week, according to Steve McAlearney, city engineering director.
âItâs very small, a few truckloads [of contaminated soil], if that,â he said.
The Monroe County Commission agreed Wednesday to fund a $12,000 feasibility study, which would help the county determine whether to proceed partnering with the City of Key West and the Key West Housing Authority on managing the Poinciana Gardens senior assisted living facility.
The commission has spent nearly $13,000 so far on consultant Robin Bleierâs firm to review the contracts, finances and business plans for the struggling 106-unit senior facility, which is currently only about half-full and has been through two management companies since it opened in 2018.
On Wednesday, Bleier briefed the commission on the facility and its finances. Previous operators of the facility had allocated âzero dollarsâ for a marketing plan and had a high mortgage and cost of square footage. The mortgage payment is scheduled to âballoonâ in seven years, and there were also ânot a lot of amenities,â Bleier said.