The City of Key West will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly completed John Jones Navigation Center, formerly the Key Overnight Temporary Shelter, or KOTS.
Representatives of the city, Monroe County, social services agencies and Keystar Construction will be on hand to celebrate the new center, which will provide shelter for about 150 people as well as on-site accessibility to services to help get people back into the mainstream.
The ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 18 at 9 a.m. at 5537 College Road.
The new facility is named for the late Key West assistant city manager John Jones who, in the early 2000s, responded to a growing issue of homeless individuals camping on private and public property. Working with local agencies, he created the Keys Overnight Temporary Shelter on property adjacent to the Monroe County Sheriff’ Office.
The new 10,422-square-foot facility includes updated infrastructure such as staff offices, a food preparation area, fire-safety sprinkler system, lighting, site security fencing, climate control, improved plumbing, energy-efficient operations and accessibility.
