When seasonal residents returned to the warmth of the Florida Keys, the city of Key Colony Beach looked quite a bit different than when they left.
And on Jan. 11, a free cookout and concert in a fully-refreshed Sunset Park took a few hours to celebrate the progress made.
An expanded version of the city’s recurring “Hot Dogs with the Cops” series, the event combined support from city leadership, the KCB Beautification Committee and KCB Fishing and Boating Club to provide a free lunch and three hours of live music by the 79th Street Band.
More than $60,000 in funding from the Monroe County Tourist Development Council powered upgrades to the local-favorite spot, including shade sails over the park lawn – and even one to shield the performers themselves.
A new ADA-compliant walkway ensures accessibility for all guests, while refreshed landscaping and flowers bordering the park earned a nod of recognition from the city’s beautification committee. Upgrades in progress for the family-friendly fishing pier will complete the commission’s vision for the park, according to KCB Mayor Freddie Foster.
“This is the rebirth of KCB, and a thank-you to the community for being so patient,” Foster said. He noted widespread ADA and parking upgrades to the city’s parks, along with a new tank for the city’s sewer plant and a redesign of the city’s retention pond to add trees and lighted fountains.
“If you look at everything we’ve done in the last 12 to 14 months – we’ve just been all over this city,” he said. “Where we’ve really done well is finding state and local grant resources to do all these kinds of things.”
Photos by ALEX RICKERT/Keys Weekly
