The History of the City of Key Colony Beach

The History of the City of Key Colony Beach

(A portion of a letter written in 1958 by F.P. Sadowski, Mayor of the City of Key Colony Beach, to potential investors.)

The general growth in the Marathon area since the time that I moved down here in 1951 and started to build Key Colony, Little Venice, South Marathon Shores, Marathon Shores and North Marathon Shores, all of which have been completed, has increased in the usage and installation of telephones, water, utilities, assessments, property values, census, etc. approximately 100%. (10 times since 1951)

Don’t forget that prior to 1952 everything in the Florida Keys pertaining to building material and supplies had been all at a standstill due to federal regulations. First you had to prove that this was in some way connected with military usage. Secondly, there was no available skilled help. Third, all of the materials for building homes had to be hauled from Miami, therefore, the costs were quite high.

During that time, as you can see on this brochure, a lot of things have happened. We have an airstrip that is approved by CAA and will be run by National Airlines on their way to Key West and back – starting this fall. We have a Food Fair Grocery Store, churches and schools of every domination including the catholic church and catholic school that is now being completed. A brand new high school on the ocean covering thirty acres of land; a brand new bank that is doing a thriving business – an eighteen hole championship golf course that is being built by Mr. Switlik from Trenton, N.J., and is now just about completed. The REA Electric Plant with its new turbine engine that is just started within the last two weeks and another similar engine is already on the way for installation in 1959 – and then the entire new City of Key Colony Beach, the second city in the Florida Keys and the first city in 128 years, was incorporated just a year ago.

This City now has a marina, a shopping center, approximately 650 lots, two large cooperative apartment buildings, each with two bedroom and two bathrooms on the ocean, two large motels on the ocean, one large restaurant and Cabana Club which has just been purchased by Guy Lombardo, also on the ocean: 1100 foot of boardwalk on the beach in front of all those buildings and 1100 feet of lighted fishing pier out in the ocean. We have approximately forty homes, nearly all on canals, a brand new convention hall that is acoustically equipped and has a very fine speaker system, is air conditioned, with a seating capacity of 600; eight new botels and another eighteen hole golf course that is under construction and will completed and ready for use in January. Then we have ten new apartment and botel sites on the ocean which will accommodate approximately 5,000 apartments that we propose to build and sell at $9,500 per unit with $500 down and $85 per month, which would include the manager’s salary, taxes, water, maintenance, outside lights, and insurance. They would have a G.E. kitchen, all air conditioned and heated – a private swimming pool, a shuffle-board court, putting green, fishing pier, and beach.

Sincerely yours,

F. P. SADOWSKI CORPORATION

F. P. Sadowski