Key Colony Beach commission approves concept for City Hall renovation and issues RFQ for architect

At a Nov. 1 special meeting in Marble Hall, the Key Colony Beach City Commission voted unanimously to approve an architect’s Scheme A1 concept for City Hall renovations and to put the project out for a request for qualifications to retain an architect.

The approved concept was the set of renderings delivered to commissioners the night before the meeting. Vice‑Mayor Freddie Foster moved to approve the drawings and authorize an RFQ; Commissioner Tom DiFransico seconded and the motion passed by roll‑call vote with all five commissioners concurring.

Commissioners discussed differences between the Building Official’s simpler renderings and the architect’s more detailed submission. Building Official Tony Loreno said his schematic showed roughly a 2,500‑square‑foot increase that included an elevator and stairs; Architect Wes Burton later provided a first‑plus‑second‑floor total of 2,927 square feet of new construction and described the next steps for developing a program of wants and needs.

Discussion centered on how much to expand the existing footprint, whether to include decorative towers shown in some illustrations, and how to preserve flexibility for uses such as police space, an emergency operations center function, or a future exercise or EMT area. Several commissioners emphasized speed because of grant timing, with Vice‑Mayor Foster noting the need to reach a concept quickly so staff can solicit bids and keep the project eligible for grant funds that must be spent by June 2026.

Commissioners also raised procurement and delivery concerns: Commissioner Doug Colonell urged staff to account for long‑lead items and suggested ordering critical materials early, while Commissioner Tom Harding recommended including time constraints and grant timing in the RFQ package.

The Commission instructed staff to post drawings online as the design process proceeds and to seek both a request for qualifications and a price proposal so the city can compare qualifications and cost. Vice‑Mayor Foster volunteered to serve as the point person coordinating with the city attorney’s office on the RFQ.

During public comment, resident Fred Swanson asked for clarity on which renderings would be used and questioned the necessity of towers as a functional element; the Commission confirmed the RFQ and later design approvals will include opportunities for resident input.

Next steps: staff will prepare an RFQ that includes a requirement for final design approval by the Commission, post the architect’s renderings on the city website as they are refined, and accept proposals for selection of design services before proceeding to construction bidding.