Do “We The People” Still Own The Land At Peary Court? Who Got To Decide That A Private Developer Could Dispose of It?

Peary Court About Twenty Years Ago

Dear Editor:

Regarding the proposed Peary Court change of use and redevelopment, I attended the first public input meeting held at the Harvey Government Center a few weeks ago. The Blue Paper was represented there, as was the KW Citizen.  There was a KW City Commissioner present.  I asked the question of the developers, “Who actually owns the land, who has title to the land, that the buildings are on at Peary Court?”  I cannot quote their reply, but it was clearly along the lines of “we do,” implying White Street Partners, or Balfour Beatty, or some collaboration or agreement between the two.  When I pressed the question, we were told that the United States Navy “no longer has anything to do with the ownership of the land.”

Last week, on June 27,there was another public meeting held.  I thought I had signed up for notices at the first meeting but I received no notice of this meeting last week.  In any case, according to the report in the Key West Citizen On June 28, it seems that the U.S. Government has an agreement or arrangement to sell the land to the private developer.  I interpret this to mean that the land still belongs to the U.S. Government at this moment.

As a resident of White Street, living across from Peary Court, I must still ask the question today:  Who owns the land that the Peary Court buildings sit on?  If, indeed, the Government still owns the land, then aren’t we getting ahead of ourselves, by being told about what form a major redevelopment and reuse of this land might look like in the future?  If, indeed, “We the People” own the land, should we not be somehow involved in the disposition of this valuable historic property in old town Key West?  Should not “We the People” have a role to play in determining the future of land that has been on every survey, every map, every description of land since 1824 as government land?  Army, Navy, loaned to the City, then back to the Navy for housing?  Who got to decide that some private developer, and an offshore non taxpaying corporation at that, can dispose of the property as they wish… and at a presumed profit?

“We the People” have paid for and subsidized the use and occupation of that property since the first sailor and soldier stood there in the early 1820s.  Personally, I’d appreciate having a voice, or maybe even a vote, on what happens to the future of Peary Court.  Now, some may say that I am beating a dead horse, that it’s a done deal.  If that’s the case, where were our City, County, State, and Federal officials when this all happened?

I am sorry, I have many more questions than answers, and I am not able to get answers that are clear, or even consistent, when I ask these questions.  Do you, or anyone else, share my concern?

Sincerely,

Karl Reutling

Key West