Item P4
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date:
March 15, 2000
Division:
County Attorney
Bulk Item:
Yes
No
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Request for authorization for the County Administrator to enter into, on behalf of the
County, an agreement for the partial continuation of work on the Gato Building
(completion of the roof) and to purchase hurricane resistant windows for the Gato
Building directly from the manufacturer. The reasons for this request are explained in
the attached letter to the public construction bond surety of Lodge Construction.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
The County previously entered into a contract with Lodge Construction on 7/21/99 for
the rehabilitation of the Gato Building. Lodge terminated its contract with the County in
February, 2000. '
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
See above.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approval.
TOTAL COST:
BUDGETED: Yes
No
Cost to County: (Included in existing construction contract.)
APPROVED BY:
County Attorney X
To Follow
Not required
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROV A
DOCUMENTATION:
'nclu
AGENDA ITEM #
I - 1JL/
COJ!~ ofM~~E
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MAYOR, Keith Douglass, District 4
Mayor Pro Tem. Jack London, District 2
Wilhelmina Harvey, DistrIct 1
ShIrley Freeman, DistrIct 3
Mary Kay ReICh, DIstrict 5
County Attorney,
502 Whitehead Street
Third Floor
Key West, FL 33040
(305)292-3470
March 3, 2000
',\
Certified Mail
RRR
Lodge Construction, Inc.
2161 McGregor Blvd. #B
Fort Myers, FL 33901
American Casualty Company
of Reading, Pennsylvania
Attn: Mr. Tom Moses
CNA Plaza, Chicago, IL 60685
RE: Declaration of Default
Dear Sirs:
Pursuant to the Public Construction Bond and the provisions of Paragraph 12.2.2 of the
Contract for Construction of the Gato Building County Offices, a Contractor Default is
declared.
The reasons ,for this declaration are: lodge Construction's wrongful Notice of
Termination dated February 2, 2000; its subsequent abandonment of the job; its prior
default in the Agreement of July 21, 1999 by failing to fully mobilize the laborers,
materialmen and suppliers to progress the work; failure to timely prosecute the project;
failure to perform project construction in a competent manner; and for other good and
sufficient reasons as appear at the site and in the Architect and Construction Manager's
observations and reports. The County files are public records for your Inspection and
clearly show th~ grounds for default and termination.
The owner, Monroe County, hereby agrees to pay the balance of the contract price to the
Surety or to a contractor selected to perform the Construction Contract
Time is of the essence as site conditions show high risk of security, exposure, deterioration
and the necessity of coordinating the work with the State's Contractor, D.L. Porter. In
addition, the County is suffering damages for delay. American Casualty Company is
urgently requested to take prompt action pursuant to the Public Construction Bond.
You may contact Steve Piazza, Construction Manager at 305/292-4429 for any information
or follow-up.
J MES T. H NDRICK
ounty Attomey
JTH~eh
e
OUNTyoLMONROE
KEY WEST ~ :~ORIDA 33040
County Attorney's Office
502 Whitehead Street
Third Floor, Rear
Key West, Florida 33040
(305) 292-3478
Mr. Tom Moses
American Casualty Company
of Reading, Pennsylvania
CNA Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60685
r----
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MA YOR Wilhelmina Harvey, District I
Mayor Pro Tem Shirley Freemart, District 3
George Neugent, District 2
Nora Williams, District 4
Mary Kay Reich, District 5
"
March 9, 2000
RE: Declaration of Default
Principal: Lodge Construction
Obligee: Monroe County, Florida
Project: Gato Building County Offices - Key West, Florida
Dear Mr. Moses:
Pursuant to a letter from this office dated March 3, 2000, you were notified that in
accordance with the terms of the contract between Monroe County and your principal,
Lodge Construction, and the terms of the Performance Bond fumished by American
Casualty and Lodge to the County, the subject contract was terminated due to a material
breach by Lodge Construction. As you are aware, the work of Lodge Construction was
proceeding simultaneously with the work of another contractor, Le., D. L. Porter Construction,
which was hired by the State of Florida to perform work on the subject project. Monroe
County has been advised by the State of Florida that the default and termination of Lodge
will have a significant impact on the ability of D. L. Porter to continue to perform work on the
project. This impact will in turn further impact the County, as more specifically addressed
below, from both a financial and practical standpoint.
The County has been advised that pursuant to the lack of performance by Lodge
Construction prior to its abandonment of the project, D. L. Porter will have to cease
performing work as of next Friday, March 17, 2000, as all available work will have been
completed. If such cessation becomes necessary, the County will incur additional expense
for demobilization and any remobilization by D. L. Porter.
Mr. Tom Moses
March 9, 2000
Page 2
Additionally, a portion of the work on this project is being funded through a FEMA grant,
which grant will be removed if certain work is not completed expeditiously. Finally, if work by
Porter is stopped too long, the funding for the entire project may be jeopardized. Obviously,
the County, for practical purposes, as well as to fulfill its legal obligation to mitigate
damages, cannot allow the situation to proceed to the point of D. L. Porter demobilizing
from the project.
Accordingly, pursuant to the demd'nd that was contained in the letter of March 3, 2000, such
demand is herein renewed, and a further demand for an expeditious review of the situation
by American Casualty is hereby made. The County must receive a response from American
Casualty as to its intentions and plans for completing the work on the project, prior to next
Friday, March 17,2000. Pursuant to its obligation to mitigate damages, the County will take
action to prevent D. L. Porter from demobilizing, and any and all additional action to
mitigate damages and to further the completion of the project. Of course, should such
action by the County become necessary, the County reserves all of its rights against both
Lodge Construction and American Casualty Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, for all
damages, costs and/or expenses that are incurred as a result of the default by Lodge
Construction.
The County's staff will make themselves available for the remainder of this week and early
next week to meet and/or discuss with you the status of the project contractually. As
requested in your letter of March 8, 2000, we are furnishing you herewith a copy of all the
documents in our file within the scope of your request. The documents are listed on the
enclosed sheet titled Documents Delivered to American Casualty Company by County
Attorney's Office. To the extent that our file may be incomplete, we have requested and will
immediately forward to you such additional documents as may be contained in the files of
the County's Director of Construction. However, the enclosed documents should enable
you to evaluate the situation and to respond promptly to this most urgent matter. The
County will anticipate receiving a response from American Casualty by next Thursday,
March 16th, so that"appropriate measures can be planned and instituted in light of Porter's
notification concerning the March 17th date.
Should you have any questions with respect to this information, please contact the
undersigned. We will look forward to hearing from you by the date specified above.
SlncerelY'r.N
Ja es T. Hendnck
C unty Attorney
JTH:~
Enclosures
cc: County Administrator
Ira Libanoff, Esq:
Steve Piazza
Jose Gonzalez
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Cigar
museum In
Keys' plans
.
. CIGARS. mOM 1E
cigar factories - those that
have survived - are slowly
assuming central roles in the
city's public li{e.
"Those factories are like
pyramids - they're still there
to remind us of where it all
came from," said Rafael Peiial-
ver, the Miami attorney who is
,ok president of the San Carlos
lrd Institute, a Key \v est museum
'ad and, cultural center that was
ic- founded by Cuban cigar work-
m- ers in 1871.
Besides the Gato building, a
'ns former factory showcases a
he lighting boutique with luxury
ng apartments upstairs. To look at
or The Ught Connection, on Tru-
~r- man Avenue and White Street,
to you'd hardly guess it was a
n- cigar factory - or drug store
b- or car dealership, which also
occupied the building.
ar "The old lady next door said
re it was a bordello for many
," years," said Jeff Erickson, who
'.
IS, renovated the building in the
ea mid-I990s.
,k- EARLY HISTORY
:r- Key 'West's entry into the
js Cigar industry was early but
je small William Wall opened the
ct city's fIrst waterfront factory in
1831 and operated it until it
1n burned down in 1859.
n- It was Samuel Seidenberg,
01 an immigrant from Germany,
es who foresaw Key West as a
,(e cigar capital and built the fust
:e. large factory"La Rosa Espanola,
Ip in 1867. It was a three-story
u- wooden structure, said Glenn
"s Westfall, a historian who has
researched the industry in Flor-
le ida.
i'Y The floodgates opened in
'h 1868, when Cuba was engulfed
k- in the Ten Years War and fIght-
at ing for freedom from Spanish
ld rule. Thousands of men left so
's they would not be pressed into
al service by the Spanish govern-
ment.
.'
Gato's final factory, the build-
ing under r,estoration at Vir-
ginia. and Simonton streets In
Old Town. The two-story
structure includes 200 window
openings. About 40 of the win-
dows survived and are under
, restOl1ltion in Tampa.
The once-open floor plan,
allowing the cigar selectors,
rollers and pickers to work
together, will be adapted for
modern office use through
glass' transoms above the inte-
rior walls. The restoration pro-
ject began last year, after the
U.S. Navy decided it no longer
needed the property and gave it
to Monroe County.
The restoration is a compli-
PETER ANDREW BOSCH I HERALD STAFF ' cated task. starting with repair-
LOTS OF LIGHT: Bill Rowan, an architect for Bender & Associates, iDg aIld replacing the concrete.
checks work on the renovation of the 84-year-old Gato cigar .' "~ - ,The c8st-iron downspouts built
factory; ,', ' ',' :' " :-::., inside the walls to drain water
"Virtually overnight, Key leaders. . from the flat roof have rusted
West ended up with several Perhaps the greatest of those and expanded, causing the con-
thousand skilled cigar work- was Eduardo H. Gato, consid- crete around them to crack. '
ers," said Westfall, who chroni- ered one ,of the primary bWld- "They used really good
cles the isi3nd's transformation ers. of Key West's cigar indus- cement for the structural part
in his ,book. Key West, Cigar try. Gato, Westfall noted, wasofit," said Bill Rowan, an archi-
City USA (Cigar City USA, Key West's greatest Cuban phi- tect with Key' West-based
$19.95)., ., lanthropist, developing street- Bender & Associates, which is
,From a small island outpost car lines, power companies and overseeing the restoration.
that depended on shipwreck donating his home as a hospital ,', To repair the damage, the
salvaging and fishing, Key West ' When other manufacturers contractors are using tech-
blossomed into a major port. By like Ybor fled Key West. for . Diques like the origiuaI builders
1876, 29 factories employed Tampa - they were fed up did, pouring concrete rather
2,100 workers, rolling 171,000 with tires, strikes and the difti- . than using modem-day con-
cigars a daY. The population cu1ties of transporting cigars crete blocks. And the forms _
skyrocketed, from 688 in 1840 from the island - Gato the woodenoutUnes concrete is
to 9,890 in 1880 to 18,080 by remained.. By World War I, poured into _ have been fash-
1890. From the end of the Civil Tampa had eclipsed Key West ioned out of boards l1lther than
War through the 1890s, Key as the center of Florida's cigar plywood. That way, ,the fIn-
West was the richest city, per industry - yet <;;ato built his ished areas will resemble the
capita, in the state. last factory in 1916, after the old. with the boards' outlines
"Manufacturers all over the previous structure burned visible.
country would use the name down. Along with the county
Key West on their cigars, even UNIFORMITY OF COLOR offices and health clinic, the
though they weren't made in Gato factory will feature a
Key West and weren't made Gato's factories were distin- museum showcasing the his-
from Cuban tobacco," Westfall guished by double-decker rows tory of the island's cigar indus-
said. To combat fraud, the city of windows with a large court- try. The Depression, the popu-
came up with a seal to denote yard in the center. Natural larity of cigarettes over cigars
island-made cigars. lighting was important, so sort- and the development of cigar-
ers could distinguish. between rolling machines led to the
CUBAN ENCLAVE 30 and 40 different colors of industry's demise by the 1930s.
The cigar boom meant leaf. The sorting was impor- When the Navy took over the
Cuban emigres played increas- tant, because part of the cigars' property for barracks during
ingly important roles in civic prestige was the uniformity of World War II, the fornier Gato
and political life. Almost a cen- color in a box. factory was vacant.
tury before the Cuban exodus "It was an incredible artistic "There couldn't be a more
to Miami, Key West had a process," Westfall said. "If it perfect location for a museum
Cuban-American mayor, jus- was a cloudy day, the selectors dedicated to Key West's cigar
tice of the peace, state legis la- didn't work." history," he said. "We've sort of
tor and acknowledged civis:"\. . The lighting can be seen in come home, back to Gato:'
, "'\,
~
nVPfs::ttion sPrvP~ ~~ in~nirA-ti()n t() n{)tAiI n)l:llTtlTrlo-ht
STATE OF FLORIDA
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
FORM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN
CLIENT AGENCY AND AGENT
STATE PROJECT NO.:
DOH 95209100
STATE SAMAS CODE:
64-30-1-000314-64200000-00-084009-97
PROJECT NAME AND LOCATION: MONROE/KEY WEST COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT
GA TO BUILDING
CLIENT AGENCY:
COMMISIONERS
MONROE
COUNTY
BOARD
OF
COUNTY
RobertG. Brooks, M.D.
Secretary
Jeb Bush
Governor
AGREEMENT FOR SERVIC
PQ.(Y\'.
PJ-S. :5t-~p
C. l -e. ( }<'j
o (t3 i ()~l
TIllS AGREEMENT
made this , 5 ~ of ~ in the year Two Thousand
BY AND BETWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALl _~.L J
me.mo ' +0 be. cLirc;re
CONSTRUCTION, hereinafter called the AGENT, and
. t,() Co. M-tJf
MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,
hereinafter called the CLIENT AGENCY.
fA)/
(~. .
O('jlnj
+0
sfa.tt)
rG
~
WITNESSETH, that whereas the CLIENT AGENCY intends to retain the services of the Agent to
administer the construction administration of the Project as shown on Attachment I,
NOW THEREFORE, the AGENT and CLIENT AGENCY, for the considerations hereinafter set forth,
agree as follows:
Article 1. The AGENT agrees to furnish or cause to be furnished services including, but not limited to,
necessary consultants' services; administering the negotiation and the award of construction agreements to
accomplish the work; and administering the agreements for construction.
Article 2. The AGENT is authorized and requested to enter into agreement with architects, engineers and
contractors, using the AGENTS forms and procedures, for the negotiation and construction of the
Project, The CLIENT AGENCY understands and agrees that those agreements will designate the
AGENT as the "OWNER" for the implementation of this work. Payments on such compensation
will be made by the CLIENT AGENCY on approval of each payment by the Owner.
The CLIENT AGENCY agrees that, although it will not execute those agreements, the agreements shall be
deemed to be the agreements of the CLIENT AGENCY and the AGENT will not have responsibility to
make payments on the agreements.
Article 3, The CLIENT AGENCY agrees to designate a representative for the project to be solely
responsible for all CLIENT AGENCY actions under this agreement; and who will receive, review and
respond in a timely manner to all questions and requests from the AGENT; and to pay, within thirty (30)
calendar days, all invoices approved by the AGENT and transmitted to the CLIENT AGENCY for
payment, not exceeding the total budget of $ 46,404 00.
Article 4, The AGENT does not guarantee that the project can be completed within the Total Budget of
$ 46,404 00, but does agree not to commit funds in excess of $ 46,404 00 without mutual agreement and
an Amendment to this Agreement authorizing such increase.
Article 5. This Agreement may be terminated by either party upon seven (7) days notice by mutual
agreement, or should one party fail substantially to perform in accordance with its terms through no fauk of
the other. In the event of termination, the CLIENT AGENCY shall pay for all commitments made and due,
Page 1 of 4
as a resuh of and in conformance with this Agreement (all Architect Agreements, Engineer Agreements,
Construction Agreements, Authorizations, Amendments, etc.), up to the date of termination, including
terminal expenses (in no case in excess of $46,404.00),
Page 2 of 4
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement the day and year first written
above.
CLIENT AGENCY
MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
State of Florida
As Witnessed:
By
Apt'~tl F4" ~ ~ Wr9-17
(t'-of4i...;;-'
J De p fA. tl c..le. (I<..
AGENT
As Witnessed:
APPROVED:
By
By
Ron Walsh, Administrator
For Florida Department of Health
Office of Design & Construction
Approved As To Form And Legality:
By
Department of Health,
State of Florida
Page 3 of 4
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA ITEM SUMMARY
Meeting Date:
March 15, 2000
Division:
County Attorney
Bulk Item:
Yes
No
AGENDA ITEM WORDING:
Request for authorization for the County Administrator to enter into, on behalf of the
County, an agreement for the partial continuation of work on the Gato Building
(completion of the roof) and to purchase hurricane resistant windows for the Gato
Building directly from the manufacturer. The reasons for this request are explained in
the attached letter to the public construction bond surety of Lodge Construction.
ITEM BACKGROUND:
The County previously entered into a contract with Lodge Construction on 7/21/99 for
the rehabilitation of the Gato Building. Lodge terminated its contract with the County in
February, 2000. '
PREVIOUS RELEVANT BOCC ACTION:
See above.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Approval.
TOTAL COST:
BUDGETED: Yes
No
Cost to County: (Included in existing construction contract.)
APPROVED BY:
County Attorney X
To Follow
Not required
"
DIVISION DIRECTOR APPROV A
DOCUMENTATION:
Inclu
AGENDA ITEM #
PLj
co.'!~ of~~E
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MAYOR, Keith Douglass, District 4
Mayor Pro Tern, Jade London, DiStrict 2
Wilhelmina Harvey, DIstrict 1
Shirley Freeman, District 3
Mary Kay Reich, District 5
County Attorney,
502 Whitehead Street
Third Floor
Key West, FL 33040
(305)292-3470
March 3, 2000
',\
Certified Mail
RRR
Lodge Construction, Inc.
2161 McGregor Blvd. #B
Fort Myers, FL 33901
American Casualty Company
of Reading, PennsylvanIa
Attn: Mr. Tom Moses
CNA Plaza, Chicago, IL 60685
RE: Declaration of Default
Dear Sirs:
Pursuant to the Public Construction Bond and the provisions of Paragraph 12.2.2 of the
Contract for Construc~on of the Gato Building County Offices, a Contractor Default is
declared.
The reasons ,for this declaration are: Lodge Construction's wrongful Notice of
Termination dated February 2, 2000; its subsequent abandonment of the job; its prior
default in the Agreement of July 21, 1999 by failing to fully mobilize the laborers,
materialmen and suppliers to progress the work; failure to timely prosecute the project;
failure to perform project construction in a competent manner; and for other good and
sufficient reasons as appear at the site and in the Architect and Construction Manager's
observations and reports. The County files are public records for your inspection and
clearly show th~ grounds for default and termination.
The owner, Monroe County, hereby agrees to pay the balance of the contract price to the
Surety or to a contractor selected to perform the Construction Contract
Time is of the essence as site conditions show high risk of security, exposure, deterioration
and the necessity of coordinating the work with the State's Contractor, D.L. Porter, In
addition, the County is suffering damages for delay. American Casualty Company is
urgently requested to take prompt action pursuant to the Public Construction Bond.
You may contact Steve Piazza, Construction Manager at 305/292-4429 for any information
or follow-up.
JTH~eh
e
OUNTyo!MONROE
KEY WEST..:::J :~ORIDA 33040
County Attorney's Office
502 Whitehead Street
Third Floor, Rear
Key West, Florida 33040
(305) 292-3478
Mr. Tom Moses
American Casualty Company
of Reading, Pennsylvania
CNA Plaza
Chicago, Illinois 60685
r--
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
MAYOR Wilhelmina Harvey, District I
Mayor Pro Tern Shirley FreemaIt, District 3
George Neugent, District 2
Nora Williams, District 4
Mary Kay Reich, District 5
'..
March 9, 2000
RE: Declaration of Default
Principal: Lodge Construction
Obligee: Monroe County, Florida
Project: Gato Building County Offices - Key West, Florida
Dear Mr. Moses:
Pursuant to a letter from this office dated March 3, 2000, you were notified that in
accordance with the terms of the contract between Monroe County and your principal,
Lodge Construction, and the terms of the Performance Bond furnished by American
Casualty and Lodge to the County, the subject contract was terminated due to a material
breach by Lodge Construction. As you are aware, the work of Lodge Construction was
proceeding simultaneously with the work of another contractor, Leu D. L. Porter Construction,
which was hired by the State of Floiida to perform work on the subject project. Monroe
County has been advised by the State of Florida that the default and termination of Lodge
will have a significant impact on the ability of D. L. Porter to continue to perform work on the
project. This impact will in turn further impact the County, as more specifically addressed
below, from both a financial and practical standpoint.
The County has been advised that pursuant to the lack of performance by Lodge
Construction prior to its abandonment of the project, D. L. Porter will have to cease
performing work as of next Friday, March 17, 2000, as all available work will have been
completed. If such cessation becomes necessary, the County will incur additional expense
for demobilization and any remobilization by D. L. Porter.
Mr. Tom Moses
March 9, 2000
Page 2
Additionally, a portion of the work on this project is being funded through a FEMA grant.
which grant will be removed if certain work is not completed expeditiously. Finally, if work by
Porter is stopped too long, the funding for the entire project may be jeopardized. Obviously,
the County, for practical purposes, as well as to fulfill its legal obligation to mitigate
damages, cannot allow the situation to proceed to the point of D. l. Porter demobilizing
from the project.
Accordingly, pursuant to the demci'nd that was contained in the letter of March 3, 2000, such
demand is herein renewed, and a further demand for an expeditious review of the situation
by American Casualty is hereby made. The County must receive a response from American
Casualty as to its intentions and plans for completing the work on the project, prior to next
Friday, March 17, 2000. Pursuant to its obligation to mitigate damages, the County will take
action to prevent D. l. Porter from demobilizing, and any and all additional action to
mitigate damages and to further the completion of the project. Of course, should such
action by the County become necessary, the County reserves all of its rights against both
Lodge Construction and American Casualty Company of Reading, Pennsylvania, for all
damages, costs and/or expenses that are incurred as a result of the default by Lodge
Construction.
The County's staff will make themselves available for the remainder of this week and early
next week to meet and/or discuss with you the status of the project contractually. As
requested in your letter of March 8, 2000, we are furnishing you herewith a copy of all the
documents in our file within the scope of your request. The documents are listed on the
enclosed sheet titled Documents Delivered to American Casualty Company by County
Attorney's Office. To the extent that our file may be incomplete, we have requested and will
immediately forward to you such additional documents as may be contained in the files of
the County's Director of Construction. However, the enclosed documents should enable
you to evaluate the situation and to respond promptly to this most urgent matter. The
County will anticipate receiving a response from American Casualty by next Thursday,
March 16th, so thaf"appropriate measures can be planned and instituted in light of Porter's
notification concerning the March 17th date.
Should you have any questions with respect to this information, please contact the
undersigned. We will look forward to hearing from you by the date specified above.
JTH :rj
Enclosures
Sincerely'r.N
Ja es T. Hendnck
C unty Attorney
cc: County Administrator
Ira Libanoff, Esq.
Steve Piazza
Jose Gonzalez
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Cigar
museum In
Keys' plans
.
ok
.rd
ad
(e-
m-
t CIGARS, FROM lE
cigar factories - those that
have survived - are slowly
assuming central roles in the
city's public life.
"Those factories are like
pyramids - they're still there
to remind us of where it all
came from," said Rafael Pefial-
ver, the Miami attorney who is
president of the San Carlos
Institute, a Key \vest museum
and,cultU1'al center that was
founded by Cuban cigar work-
ers in 1871.
Besides the Gato building, a
former factory showcases a
lighting boutique with luxury
apartments upstairs. To look at
The Light Connection, on Tru-
man Avenue and White Street,
you'd hardly guess it was a
cigar factory - or drug store
or car dealership, which also
occupied the building.
"The old lady next door said
it was a bordello for many
years," said Jeff Erickson, who
renovated the building in the
mid-I990s.
EARLY mSTORY
Key 'West's entry into the
Cigar industry was early but
small William Wall opened the
cityis first waterfront factory in
1831 and operated it until it
burned down in 1859.
It was Samuel Seidenberg,
an immigrant from Germany,
who foresaw Key West as a
cigar capital and built the fust
large factory"La Rosa Espanola.
in 1867. It was a three-story
wooden structure, said Glenn
Westfall, a historian who has
researched the industry in Flor-
ida.
The floodgates opened in
1868, when Cuba was engulfed
in the Ten Years War and fight-
ing for freedom from Spanish
rule. Thousands of men left so
they would not be pressed into
service by the Spanish govern-
ment.
'ns
he
ng
or
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to
n-
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ar
re
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'.
IS,
ea
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ds
de
ct
)n
n-
01
es
Ke
:e.
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u-
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le
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'h
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at
ld
's
II
PETER ANDREW BOSCH I HERALD STAFF '
LOTS OF LIGHT: Bill Rowan, an architect for Bender & Associates,
checks work on the renovation of the 84-year-old Gato cigar' .' " ~
factory.:,',:, ' ,',~___.
"Virtually overnight, Key leaders. '
West ended up with several Perhaps the greatest of those
thousand skilled cigar work- was Eduardo H. Gato, consid-
ers," said Westfall. who chroni- ered one ,of the primary bUild-
des the island's transformation ers of Key West's cigar indus-
in his,book. K~y West, Cigar try. Gato, Westfall noted, was
City USA (Cigar City USA, Key West's greatest Cuban phi-
$19.95). " lanthropist, developing street-
,From a small island outpost car lines, power companies and
that depended on shipwreck donating his home as a hospital
salvaging and fishing, Key West . When other manufactU1'ers
blossomed into a major port. By like Ybor fled. Key West' for
1876, 29 factories employed Tampa - they were fed up
2,100 workers, rolling 171,000 with fues, strikes and the diffi-
cigars a day: The population cu1ties of transporting cigars
skyrocketed, from 688 in 1840 from the island - Gato
to 9,890 in 1880 to 18,080 by remained., By World War I,
1890. From the end of the Civil Tampa had eclipsed Key West
War through the 1890s, Key as the center of Florida's cigar
West was the richest city, per industry - yet C;;ato built his
capita, in the state. last factory in 1916, after the
"Manufacturers allover the previous structure burned
country would use the name down.
Key West on their cigars, even
though they weren't made in
Key West and weren't made
from Cuban tobacco," Westfall
said. To combat fraud, the city
came up with a seal to denote
island-made cigars.
UNIFORMITY OF COLOR
Gato's factories were distin-
guished by double-decker rows
of windows with a large court-
yard in the center. Natural
lighting was important, so sort-
ers could distinguish, between
CUBAN ENCLAVE 30 and 40 different colors of
The cigar boom meant leaf. The sorting was impor-
Cuban emigres played increas- tant, because part of the cigars'
ingly important roles in civic prestige was the uniformity of
and political life. Almost a cen- color in a box.
tury before the Cuban exodus "It was an incredible artistic
to Miami, Key West had a process," Westfall said. "If it
Cuban-American mayor, jus- was a cloudy day, the selectors
tice of the peace, state legisla- didn't work."
tor and acknowledged civis:" The lighting can be seen in
, ''\,
,
, '
Gato's fmal factory, the build_
ing under r.estoration at Vir-
ginia and Simonton streets In
Old Town. The two-story
structure includes 200 window
openings. About 40 of the win-
dows survived and are under
. restoration in Tampa.
The once-open floor plan,
allowing the cigar selectors,
rollers and pickers to work
together, will be adapted for
modern office use through
glass. transoms above the inte-
rior walls. The restoration pro-
ject began last year, after the
U.S. Navy decided it no longer
needed the property and gave it
to Monroe County.
The restoration is a compli-
cated task; starting with repair-
i:i1g and replacing the concrete.
The cast-iron downspouts built
inside the walls to drain water
from the flat roof have rusted
and expanded, causing the con-
crete around them to crack. '
"They used really good
cement for the structural part
of it," said Bill Rowan, an archi-
tect with Key West-based
Bender & Associates, which is
overseeing the restoration.
" To repair the damage, the
contractors are using tech-
, Diques like the original builders
did, POU1'ing concrete rather
than using modem-day con-
crete blocks. And the forms -
the wooden outlines concrete is
poured into - have been fash-
ioned out of boards rather than
plywood. That way,. the fin-
ished areas will resemble the
old, with the boards' outlines
visible.
Along with the county
offices and health clinic, the
Gato factory will feature a
museum showcasing the his-
tory of the island's cigar indus-
try. The Depression, the popu-
larity of cigarettes over cigars
and the development of cigar-
rolling machines led to the
industry's demise by the 1930s.
When the Navy took over the
property for barracks during
World War II, the former Gato
factory was vacant.
"There couldn't be a more
perfect location for a museum
dedicated to Key West's cigar
history," he said. "We've sort of
come home, back to Gato."
oyerS}l,tion ~PrvP~ ~~ in~nirAtl{)n to notl-lrl nJI)'T\lTrln-ht
03/14/00 17:41 FAX 1+305 296 2727
BE~DER ASSOC
4tJ 003
AGREEMENT FOR SERVICES
THlS AGREEMENT
made this _ of ~ in the year Two Thousand
BY AND BElWEEN THE DEPARTMENT OF HEAL TIi, OFFICE OF DESIGN AND
CONSTRUCTION, hereinafter calJed the AGENT, aad
MONROE COUNlY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMlSSIONERS,
hereinafter called the CLIENT AGENCY.
WITNESSETH, that whereas the CLIENT AGENCY intends to retain the services of the Agent to
adminismr the construction administration of the Project as shown on Attachment t
NOW nrEREFORE, the AGENT and CLIENT AGENCY, for the considerations hereinafter set forth,
agree as follows:
Article 1_ The AGENT agrees to furnish or cause to be fumished services including, but not limited to,
llCGeSsary consultants' services; administering the negotiaticm and the award of constructioo agrcemcots to
accomplish the work; and administering the agreements for construction,
Article 2. The AGENT is authorized and requested to enter into agreement with archit.ccts. engineers and
contractors, using the AGENT'S forms and procedures. for the negotiation and construction of the
Project. The CLIENT AGENCY understands and agrees that those agreements will designate the
AGENT as the "OWNER" for the implemeutation of this work, Payments on such COmpfllsatiao
will be made by the CLIENT AGENCY on approval of each payment by the Owner,
, The CLIENT AGENCY agrees tha~ although it will not execute those agreemmts, the agreemeots shaU be
deemed to be the agreements of the CLIENT AGENCY aod the AGENT. will not have responsibility to
make payments on the agreements.
Article 3_ The CLIENT AGENCY agrees to designate a representative for the project to be solely
responsible for all CLIENT AGENCY actions under this agreement; and who will receive, review and
respond in a timely manner to aU questions and requests from the AGENT; and to pay, within thirty (30)
calendar days, all invoices approved by the AGENT and transmitted to the CLIENT AGENCY for
payment., not ex~ding the totaJ budget ofS 46 &04 00,
Article 4_ The AGENT does not guarantee that the project. r:;ao be completed within the Total Budget of
$ 41\.404 00, but does agree not to commit funds in excess ofS 46,&0400 without mutual agreement and
an Amendmem to this Agreement authorizing such increase.
Article 5 _ This Agreemeo1 may be terminated by either party upm seven (7) days notice by mutual
agreement, or should one party fail substantially to perform in accordance with its tenns through no fault of
the other, In the event oft.ennination, the CLIENT AGENCY shall pay for all commitments made and due,
Page 1 of 4
I fJ-l(
03/14/00 17:41 FAX 1+305 296 2727
BE~DER ASSOC
as a result of aod in confonnance with this Agreement (all An:hitect AgrcemCDt.s, Engineer Agreements,
Construction Agreements, Authorizations, Amendments, etc.), up to the date of termination. including
~al expenses (m no <;ase in excess ofS46,404.00).
Page 2 of 4
~004
03/14/00 17:41 FAX 1+305 296 2727
BE:"DER ASSOC
I4J 005
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have executed this Agreement the day and year first writtm
above,
CLIENT AGENCY
MONROE COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
State of Florida
APPROVED:
As Witnessed:
By
By
/itJfJ~ ~ ~";. ~'C/e.r"
~~4"Y
AGENT
As Witnessed:
APPROVED:
By
RoD Walsh, AdminiStrator
For Florida Department of Health
Office ofDesigo It.. Construction
By
Approved As To Fonn And Legality:
By
Departmcot of Health,
State of Florida
Page 3 ot 4
03/14/00 17:41 FAX 1T305 296 2727
BE:'\DER ASSOC
14]006
6TTACMMFNT Nn 1
A price was requested from D.L. Portar Construction. Inc. to complete the following work on Request for
Proposal #4.
Provide a det.illed cost breakdown for all work required to allow roofing work to proceed. The
subject items are currmrtly under the Monroe County Contr.lct, and their completion is necessary to allow
roofing work to be installed. Provide aU work required to allow wofmg work to proceed, itemized in your
pricing. and all miscellaneous related services. Work includes, but is not necessarily limited to, the
following:
1. Concrete columns for chiller support system, with inserts for future installation of structural steel
beams,
2. The roofacuss tower concrete strUcture, Room R-301, including cutting the hole for the spiral stair
hut excluding the spiIat stair and door frames,
3. Insta1.lation of thru roof penetrations such as exhaust &n curbs, vmt.s. pipes, conduits, etG, These
~ms should be installed only to the extent required for proper roofing,
D0cumeut5 depicting this work include Sheet A-9. Roof Plan, Sheet A-lO, Roof Details, all structural
sheets. all Addenda, RFI's, Information Bulletins, aod other documents previously issued on these items.
Additionally, concrete repairs are required at parapets to allow for base flashing installation. This work is
also part of this agreement and will include concrete restoration of parapets at the courtyard and the
building perimeter,
Page IJ of 4