The September 17 agenda for the Key Colony Beach City Commission listed an unusual meeting place: the back patio of the Key Colony Inn at 700 W. Ocean Drive. Two months later, on November 19, the Key Colony Beach Community Association's Welcome Back Party is at the same address.
Through the second half of 2025, that building was closed. Now the town's government and its biggest social event of the fall both meet there. If you're coming back for the season, that shift explains most of what has changed on the island. It also has a shelf life, because it ends when the new City Hall opens its doors.
The Inn Went Dark, Then Came Back as Something Else
The Key Colony Inn closed in July 2025 after its previous operators left town suddenly. The property later sold for $3 million. The new owner, Jim Figueroa, brought in Michael and Amanda Lordi. Michael runs the kitchen, and Amanda runs the front of house and the bar. She also has history in the room, having bartended at the Inn in 2013 under former owners Sergei and Lena Proudnik.
In November 2025, Keys Weekly reported that the interior was being taken down to the studs. The bar was moving back to make room for booths, and the old ceiling carpet was coming down. The Lordis described a from-scratch kitchen with a rotating, Italian-leaning menu, and they said the Inn's well-known espresso martinis would stay. Keys Weekly later confirmed the restaurant reopened as The Inn at Key Colony in early 2026.
The menu now goes past Italian. Its current reservation listing includes clams, octopus, a prime ribeye, lasagna, ravioli and Sunday gravy, with homemade pasta alongside steakhouse cuts. The 2025 plan said the Inn would open without lunch service. The current listing shows lunch Thursday through Sunday from noon to 3 p.m. and dinner from 5 to 9 p.m. on the days it's open. Wednesday isn't listed, so call ahead before planning a midweek dinner.
Why the Commission Is Meeting Next to the Bar
The Inn became the meeting room because the real one is a construction site. Key Colony Beach broke ground on its new City Hall on December 19, 2025. The contractor, Pedro Falcon, had 273 days to reach substantial completion, which put the target in September 2026. That date has passed, and the schedule moved more than once along the way:
| Meeting | Status reported | Projected completion |
|---|---|---|
| Ground breaking, Dec. 19, 2025 | 273-day contract begins | September 2026 |
| April 16, 2026 | Day 128 of 273, billings near 10% | Not revised |
| April 27, 2026 | Change order approved, extension excluded | Vice mayor to negotiate timeline |
| June 18, 2026 | Drainage, ductwork, wiring, railings in progress | October 13 |
| July 16, 2026 | About three weeks behind | November 3 |
The April 27 change order cost $143,798.35 and paid for pin piles and a new slab. Commissioners approved the work but left out the 58 extra days the contractor had asked for. At the July meeting, Vice Mayor Colonell blamed part of the delay on contractor scheduling and vacations. The commission also talked about slow material deliveries and when the city might be able to move into the building. The November 3 date is a projection from July. The September 17 agenda included another City Hall update, but no record of what was said has been published yet.
In the meantime, the Building Department is working out of a temporary trailer. The city has said there is still a safe path through the parking lot to Marble Hall and the post office. The October commission meeting was moved from October 15 to October 22, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Check the posted agenda for the location. The most recent one put the meeting on the Inn's patio.
The Projects Waiting Behind City Hall
The new building is the start of a longer list of public work. In an August grant update, Mayor Freddie Foster listed $16.79 million in awards. They include $2.28 million for City Hall, $2.6 million for stormwater work on 7th, 9th, 10th and 11th Streets and Shelter Bay Drive, and $19,600 for the Sunset Park pier. A $250,000 application for a beach erosion and wave-attenuation study was still pending at the time. It's a study, not a scheduled beach project.
On September 29, the county Tourist Development Council approved $494,550 for six city projects in fiscal year 2027:
- Sunset Park gazebo, $69,000
- City Hall electronic sign, $75,000
- 7th Street restroom improvements, $80,500
- Pickleball restroom improvements, $80,500
- Basketball court improvements, $85,250
- Fitness trail improvements, $104,300
The city noted that agreements and final county approval still have to come before any construction starts. Park planning is also picking up again. The city held input sessions over Zoom on September 28 for a $50,000 grant application for 1st Street Park and a $112,500 application for 7th Street Park. The Recreation Committee takes up the 2027–28 applications for both parks on October 8 at 10 a.m., on Zoom only.
Not every change is an amenity. Starting October 1, residential, apartment and condominium sewer charges went from $74 to $84 a month per unit, or $252 a quarter, up from $222. The city cited higher costs for hauling and processing sludge.
The Par-3 Has a New Lease and a Few New Touches
The city-owned par-3 golf course went through its own reset this year. On January 12, commissioners approved a modified lease with longtime operator Daryl Rice that runs through September 30, 2027. The city handles major repairs, and Rice keeps up the clubhouse bathrooms and most of the irrigation. KeysNews reported the rates: $15 for nine holes, $8 for a second nine and $5 for club or pull-cart rentals, with play from 7:30 a.m. to dusk. Residents and visitors pay the same.
In April, the commission spent $12,000 on 20 to 30 palm trees and mulch to help keep golf balls out of neighboring areas. It also approved up to $17,735 for outdoor furniture at the clubhouse. At the same meeting, the city bought a used mobile restroom for $25,000 to use at city events. That purchase doesn't replace the permanent restrooms planned for 7th Street Park and the pickleball courts.
The Season Calendar Builds Toward a Birthday
The party season starts back at the Inn. The Welcome Back Party on November 19 runs from 5 to 9 p.m. and includes all-American food, the Rick Lieder Band, a cash bar, 50/50 drawings, and apple pie with ice cream. Tickets are $30 for Community Association members and $35 for everyone else, and the flyer says quantities are limited. They go on sale online November 1 through 18. In-person sales are Thursday, November 12, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and Monday, November 16, from 1 to 3 p.m. Details and tickets are on the Key Colony Beach Community Association site.
The Annual Christmas Boat Parade is December 13, with the city calendar showing 5 to 9 p.m. The Community Association co-sponsors the lighted parade through the canals with the Key Colony Beach Fishing & Boating Club and hosts the awards dinner for captains and crews afterward. To enter a boat, contact Steve DeCrow at (518) 859-5662 or [email protected]. No 2026 route has been posted yet. The Florida Keys visitor guide has pointed spectators to Sadowski Causeway in past years. The city's New Year's Eve Party runs from 10 p.m. on December 31 until 1 a.m. on January 1, 2027.
All of this leads up to a bigger date. Key Colony Beach was incorporated in September 1957, so 2027 is its 70th year. At the July 16 meeting, Commissioner Diehl reported that the 70th Birthday Committee had held its kickoff. Ideas so far include a commissioners' breakfast, silent auctions, sports tournaments, a parade and local restaurants taking part. Mayor Foster asked that sign-up information go on the city website for residents who want to help. If you want an early start, limited-edition 70th-anniversary clothing will be on sale at the November 19 party.
That means the anniversary year will probably open with commissioners in a new City Hall, parks waiting on grant decisions, and the Inn back to being simply a place to have dinner.
We follow these meeting agendas and party flyers the same way you do, because Key Colony Beach is where our clients live and dock their boats. If this season has you thinking about a canal-front place here, or about what your current home would sell for once the island's new public spaces are finished, the team at Island Welcome Real Estate is happy to talk it over. Start Your Island Search.
