Though packed with tourists for two hours a day, Key West’s Mallory Square is used for little else than the nightly Sunset Celebration. City officials want to use the square more effectively and are seeking the public’s input on a new “community vision plan” for Mallory Square.
Four community meetings, including one that occurred on March 11, have been scheduled to gather opinions and ideas and an online survey asks participants how they envision Mallory Square. The survey includes questions about shade, seating, landscaping, lighting and sign options, as well as potential uses for the area.
Shade options include sculptural shade structures, sun shades and additional shade trees. Potential lighting upgrades may include twinkling strings of tree lights, additional streetlamps and underwater lighting. Sign choices in the survey include artistic floor signs, directories and directional signs with arrows pointing to various attractions. Seating may include benches under new trees, movable seating areas or raised berms that allow for picnic blankets such as at an outdoor concert.
“All options in this survey are conceptual and are to be used as conversation starters only,” the survey specifies, adding that the city is seeking public input “to find solutions to a common goal.” The city is proposing two phases. The first includes signs, lighting and shaded areas. The long-term phase includes landscaping, design, seating and rezoning.
The survey is at cityofkeywest-fl.gov. For more information about the Mallory Square project, email city_harc@cityofkeywest-fl.gov, or call 305-809-3973.
Mallory Square meeting dates:
Thursday, March 25, 5 p.m. at Community Services building, 3420 Northside Dr.
Tuesday, April 13, 3 p.m. Zoom meeting
Thursday, April 15, 3:30 p.m. at City Hall commission chambers, 1300 White St.
