ON THE WATERFRONTONTHEWATERFRONT n Bill Spottswood| Continued
have no problem agreeing with that because this is the most significant development that this City has un- dertaken and there should be a pro- fessional organization specializing in parks and the likes, to help guide us through this project. Te Waterfront Advisory Board was very adamant about that and expressed this not being an undertaking we try and do on our own.
GDTe Truman Waterfront Advi- sory has drawn up this thing and in basis approved the conceptual plan. BSWe basically responded to the RFP in two parts. We said we would try to do the whole thing, utilize the tourist dollars, and not put the bur- den on the City of Key West taxpay- ers but that did not work so the Mayor asked if we are prepared to go forward with the Marina and yes, we are prepared to move forward with the development of the Ma- rina.
GD If the City Commission ap- proves this plan in whole, does your group feels that you have the ability to secure private funding to handle the construction and move forward in a timely matter? SB In the Marina portion of it. I think the Upland portion of it is ba- sically park lands and is almost im- possible to try and secure private financing to develop a public park. Te City needs the Marina and needs the Marina revenue in order
to support the maintenance of the uplands and I'm standing ready, willing and able to be involved with the development of the uplands and turning it into something we all can be proud of. We got involved with this project because this is an oppor- tunity for the City and all the citi- zens to have something they are really proud of. We have to have a way to maintain it and I think that is the application that was made by the City in 2002. Tat application showed the Federal Government that the way we can pay to maintain and operate this park would be to generate some money out of the Marina. Te marina would be leased like any other property the City has with a monthly rent payment to the City with a percentage of the gross. Once we negotiate those terms, we can make a decision as to whether or not we can get it financed. As you said, in this day and age we - Miesel/Spottswood - doesn't own the property. We have to go out and try and finance and build this thing based upon a leasehold of 20 years, which is not the easiest thing to do but we know we can do it. We just have to sit down, negotiate those terms. Te city will proceed with the uplands and we would like to help anyway we can. I am just looking forward to trying to get moving. Te Advisory Board said that the conceptual plan is the first thing in 10 years that they have to really work with and finally move forward.
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16 KONK Life
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