From Keys Citizen: Bight Board delays decision on future of Jimmy Buffett’s former studio
Decision time may be “five o’clock somewhere,” but it wasn’t on Wednesday night for Jimmy Buffett’s former recording studio.
The Key West Bight Management District Board on Nov. 12, postponed a decision on who should take over the long-vacant Lazy Way Lane space until the next board meeting on Dec. 10.
There are two visions at play. One to revive the site as a working recording studio with charitable proceeds, the other to turn it into a margarita bar and museum. Both options left board members saying they needed “changes in attitudes” before making any call. Instead, they urged representatives for the competing bidders, Shrimp Boat Sound Key West LLC and Spottswood Management Inc., to meet in the coming weeks and see whether a joint venture is possible.
The debate stems from the two Letters of Interest submitted after Buffett’s estate ended the longtime lease and removed the contents from the building, leaving behind an empty shell in need of repairs. The city, hoping to avoid letting the former studio drift into its own version of “Wastin’ Away Again in Margaritaville,” advertised for proposals for four consecutive weeks and received two responses.
One would preserve the site as a functioning studio with tours and community benefits; the other proposes a frozen drink bar, museum, and retail space celebrating Key West’s music, arts and fishing history.
Buffett, who amassed a business empire to go along with his iconic music career, died in 2023 at age 76 at his estate in Sag Harbor, New York.
A resolution before the board recommended authorizing City Manager Brian L. Barroso to negotiate with Shrimp Boat Sound Key West LLC, the plan led by David Bernsen that promises to keep the space dedicated to music, live broadcasts, private sessions and charity, an effort supported by artists including Mac McAnally, Kenny Chesney, the Zac Brown Band and members of the Coral Reefer Band. Staff concluded the concept best aligned with the community’s values and the property’s legacy as a creative hub, not just another stop for tourists looking for “Boat Drinks.”
Spottswood Management’s unsolicited proposal, submitted Sept. 17 with a $25,000 cashier’s check to cover the proposal review, envisioned a frozen drink and margarita bar with indoor and outdoor seating, plus museum and retail elements. But the process grew increasingly tangled and some board members questioned the absence of a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) and the city’s lack of response to an earlier public-private partnership pitch—concerns that pushed the board toward postponement.
Chair Bill Lay ultimately said it was best to wait, giving the two interested parties time to talk things out. Meanwhile, several speakers, and 25 citizens who submitted online comments, urged the board not to let the site become just another bar. They argued that the magic of Key West lives in its music, stories, and sense of belonging, that are all elements Buffett spent a lifetime writing songs about.
Several speakers voiced support for maintaining the space as a recording studio. The building currently sits empty and unusable until repairs are completed, regardless of which proposal ultimately moves forward.
Kim Eckhardt said the board should take the staff recommendations and award the lease to Shrimpboat Sound Key West.
“The community will benefit from this lease both directly and indirectly. Residents would like for this decision to benefit our community and not a developer. During my ambassadors program, the Bight Manager said that the city bought the land and properties around the Bight so it would always be available to the community and not closed off by private businesses. Awarding them the lease will keep that vision alive. Do right by our community,” she said.
Christopher Massicotte urged the board take the staff recommendations and award the lease to Shrimpboat Sound Key West, LLC.
He said, “Their proposal is reasonable and will benefit the community as a whole. People travel from all over to see the studio where all the Key West magic happened, and to place a sticker on it. It is iconic and turning it into a margarita stand would ruin it. We already have enough places to get a drink in that area.”
At one point, Chairman Lay condemned what he described as a recent wave of about 1,400 anonymous, copy-and-paste emails sent to board members negatively targeting the Spottswood family. He described the tone as a “cult mentality” unbecoming of the community.
Bernsen publicly distanced his group from those communications, saying they “had no involvement” and held respect for the Spottswoods’ long-standing role in Key West.
Lay encouraged Bernsen and Spottswood to meet before the December meeting to explore a joint venture, combining preservation and charitable goals with business experience to potentially generate higher rent for the city. Spottswood agreed, saying the property should serve the “highest and best use” for city revenue.
City attorneys clarified that the board had several paths forward: postponing the item, withdrawing it for a new competitive solicitation, or allowing the P3 proposal to proceed on its own track. Bernsen confirmed he would not withdraw his Letter of Intent and supported postponement.