On Feb. 14, Keys Weekly was treated to a tour of the construction site for the all-new Monroe County Emergency Operations Center by project management director Cary Knight.
The upcoming 28,321-square-foot building at the west end of the Marathon airport will include Monroe County’s Emergency Management, Fire Rescue administration and a countywide 911 center. Its $38 million price tag is slated to be paid entirely by grants and state appropriations.
Built to withstand a direct hit from a Category 5 hurricane, the design of the building is based on a 500-year storm – although it’s technically just a one-story stilted building, the finished product will be 43 feet tall, with its lowest structural member resting at 17 feet above sea level. Once completed, the facility will be self-sustaining for 72 hours for up to 150 emergency response staff, including food, drinking water, electric power and wastewater storage.
Helmed by Ajax Building Company, the construction site currently sees 40 to 50 workers on a daily basis, with many local subcontractors contributing to the build. Completion is scheduled prior to the 2024 hurricane season.
