Advisory board recommends 10‑year lease for Shrimp Boat Sound studio, with expansion option; board raises procurement questions
July 15, 2026 | Key West, Monroe County, Florida
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The Caroline Street Corridor advisory board voted to recommend a 10‑year lease (with two five‑year renewal options and a limited expansion allowance) with the tenant listed in the public notice, Shrimp Boat Sound Key West LLC (identified in the meeting as David Bernsen), to restore and operate a historic recording studio in the Seaport.
Staff explained the lease allows the tenant to expand up to 500 square feet and requires subsequent board/CRA approval for any expansion or sublease. The proposed lease and accompanying resolution reference a planned collaboration with Robert Spotswood Jr. to preserve the studio’s history; staff said the collaboration is addressed in the resolution but not embedded into the lease itself.
A board member raised a legal question about whether the request‑for‑proposal (RFP) properly identified the additional outdoor space the tenant later sought, and whether communications following the competitive solicitation might have triggered the cone‑of‑silence rules. The board attorney said the cone‑of‑silence issue and the RFP exception are legal questions the attorney would review and follow up on.
Tenant representatives and music‑industry witnesses described substantial private investment in restoring the studio, explained plans to operate it as a working museum and recording facility, and argued an opening timed with marketing around Jimmy Buffett’s posthumous album could boost local tourism. The tenant said expansion or any sublet (including the possibility of a detached 20‑seat outdoor bar) would require further approvals and come back to the board and CRA.
After discussion the advisory board voted to recommend the lease. The recorded roll‑call votes were: Girard — yes; Henson — yes; Malone — no; Weekley — yes; Chairman Knowles — yes. The recommendation will advance to the CRA and City Commission where staff and legal will address the procurement and cone‑of‑silence questions as needed.
Staff explained the lease allows the tenant to expand up to 500 square feet and requires subsequent board/CRA approval for any expansion or sublease. The proposed lease and accompanying resolution reference a planned collaboration with Robert Spotswood Jr. to preserve the studio’s history; staff said the collaboration is addressed in the resolution but not embedded into the lease itself.
A board member raised a legal question about whether the request‑for‑proposal (RFP) properly identified the additional outdoor space the tenant later sought, and whether communications following the competitive solicitation might have triggered the cone‑of‑silence rules. The board attorney said the cone‑of‑silence issue and the RFP exception are legal questions the attorney would review and follow up on.
Tenant representatives and music‑industry witnesses described substantial private investment in restoring the studio, explained plans to operate it as a working museum and recording facility, and argued an opening timed with marketing around Jimmy Buffett’s posthumous album could boost local tourism. The tenant said expansion or any sublet (including the possibility of a detached 20‑seat outdoor bar) would require further approvals and come back to the board and CRA.
After discussion the advisory board voted to recommend the lease. The recorded roll‑call votes were: Girard — yes; Henson — yes; Malone — no; Weekley — yes; Chairman Knowles — yes. The recommendation will advance to the CRA and City Commission where staff and legal will address the procurement and cone‑of‑silence questions as needed.
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