NEW CONSTRUCTION – Projects spring up in Marathon

San Pablo Catholic church is building new administrative offices and a rectory. SARA MATTHIS/Keys Weekly

The ravages of Hurricane Irma are still being repaired in Marathon, almost three years after the storm swept the islands. 

One of the most recognizable photos of the destruction was the former Nick’s Gym complex, missing half of its roof, near Vaca Cut. The building has sat half-empty until it was recently purchased by Andrew George of Royal Crest Builders and Design Center companies. He said it will be renovated into retail spaces.

“I’m shooting for six tenants, but the space can be configured for as little as 800 square feet up to 6,800 square feet,” he said. Construction will begin in about three months and the work will take about six months to complete.

On the other side of Vaca Cut is a new concrete block building going up next to San Pablo Catholic Church. The almost 5,000-square-foot building will be two stories — administrative offices on the bottom and a new rectory on the top floor. The original buildings sustained wind and flood damage in Hurricane Irma. The construction is set to be complete by early fall.

This is a rendering of the new office spaces planned for the complex that formerly housed Nick’s Gym. Half of the building’s roof was ripped off in Hurricane Irma. CONTRIBUTED