When the City of Marathon announced the soft opening of the new wheel park at Marathon Community Park on June 23, the kids got there before the landscaping was finished. "The kids just lined up," Carlos Solis, the city's director of engineering, told Keys Weekly.
That opening started a run of finished projects. Within about three weeks, Marathon also opened four pickleball courts and a rebuilt dog park. The projects behind them had moved through city councils and city managers for years. The waterfront projects that come next are on the same slow schedule, and several of them now have contractors on site.
Eight years for a pump track
The wheel park is the clearest case of how long these projects take. Skateboards, scooters, bikes and rollerblades had been off that corner of Community Park since 2023. Keys Weekly reported that the new park ended an eight-year campaign by local entrepreneur Matt Sexton, who had pushed for it since 2019. "This has been through three city managers, three city councils," Sexton told the paper. He also credited Christina and Tina Belotti for championing the original park.
The Platform Group handled design and construction of the $1.4 million park. Before laying it out, the company held workshops with local skaters. The layout has rails, quarter pipes, ramps and a pump track. It's open sunrise to sunset for any non-motorized wheel sport.
By the city's September 8, 2026 engineering update, the park was complete and all landscaping was in. The only remaining item was a second layer of asphalt. The city chose to pave in two lifts because heavy construction equipment could have damaged fresh asphalt. The bare concrete may not stay bare for long. Sexton said muralist Claudio Picasso, one of the original skate park's first contributing artists, has agreed to create an art installation across the whole finished park.
The corner still isn't finished. As of September 8:
- Splash pad: the site plan was complete, the site had been graded and utilities were in. The city expected final engineering plans for the piping and splash pad equipment by mid-September, to go to the building department.
- Restroom building: design was at 90%. The city planned to submit for permits in mid-September and put the project out to bid by the end of September. Keys Weekly reported that a small concession stand is also planned for the redeveloped corner.
So the skate park is ready to ride, and the rest of the corner is still under construction.
Oceanfront Park filled in behind City Hall
While Community Park got its wheel park, Oceanfront Park behind City Hall at 9805 Overseas Highway got two projects finished within weeks of each other.
Mayor Lynny Del Gaizo and Fire Inspector Mike Card opened the four new pickleball courts with a match on Monday, June 29. The contract went to Discount Rock and Sand in October 2025, and the project cost nearly $500,000. Deputy City Manager Brian Bradley suggested solar lighting in place of traditional electrical lighting, and the city says that change saved nearly $150,000.
The renovated Oceanfront Park Dog Park followed on Wednesday, July 15. When the mayor cut the ribbon, she thanked residents for their patience: "What you've noticed, when you wait, you get something beautiful." Mark Tuschel, the city's facilities and construction project manager, listed the upgrades:
- 18,650 square feet of Tifway 419 Bermuda grass, a soft, shorter grass that suits dogs of all sizes
- 2,500 square feet of permeable artificial turf around the tree to keep down dust and mud
- An agility area with hoops, a barrel, a table and a run course
- A tiki hut for shade, with pavers under it and at the entrance
- A dog-washing station under the tiki that adjusts to the size of the dog
- An extra watering station, more doggy stations, and a reconfigured fence and gates for easier access
The grass comes with a schedule. The dog park closes the first and third Monday and Tuesday of every month so the turf can regrow and be maintained.
Grants, donations and a cheaper lighting choice
The cost figures in the city's announcements and Keys Weekly's reporting show a pattern. Grants and donations paid for large shares of the skate park and dog park, the planned trail lighting is grant-funded, and the pickleball courts came in lower because of a design change.
| Project | Total cost | Outside help or savings |
|---|---|---|
| Community Park wheel park | $1.4 million | $265,000 donation from the Florida Keys Community Center |
| Oceanfront Park Dog Park | $96,430 | $80,291 Monroe County Tourist Development Council grant; city share $16,139 |
| Oceanfront Park pickleball courts | Nearly $500,000 | Nearly $150,000 saved by switching to solar lighting |
| Aviation Boulevard trail lighting, planned | Not stated | $959,400 FDOT grant funds construction |
The dog park is the most lopsided. Tourist-tax money covered roughly 83% of the cost. The Florida Keys Community Center, the nonprofit Sexton started, paid for about a fifth of the skate park. Keys Weekly described that donation as defraying most of the city's costs. Waiting for grants is part of the reason these projects take years. It's also why so many of them reach the finish line in the same season once the funding comes through.
Next up: the waterfront
The projects now under construction are on the water.
The Quay property, 12650 Overseas Highway. The city bought the former Quay restaurant site in October 2018, along with land that had been used for boat-ramp parking. Early concepts reported by KeysNews included a kayak launch, boardwalk, picnic and fishing areas, food-truck space and restrooms. The city also weighed an alternative that would move the boat ramp into the park area and scale back the other amenities. By 2025, city documents described final plans for site work, lighting, electric service and pavilions, plus permits for a new boat ramp and seawall and shoreline restoration. The city hasn't published a final list of amenities, so treat the earlier concepts as concepts.
Construction is underway now. The September 8 update says the contractor waited until after Mini-Season and the first week of lobster season to mobilize. By that report, the storm sewer system was about 80% complete and work on the driveway base had started. The city put completion at "late January."
Seven Mile Marina. The dock work added water service and conduit for future electric. On September 8, the contractor was finished except for a boat lift cover that was back-ordered. The city expected the docks to be ready for leasing by mid-September. The marina building is next, but the city is holding off on bidding it so its small project-management staff isn't stretched across too many jobs at once. The renovated building is planned to hold the permanent reception area for Pigeon Key, an office for marina staff, leasable space and enclosed lockers for charter boat captains.
Sombrero Beach. Work continues on the beach's information and security building. Crews found damage to the roof sheeting and framing from an apparent leak, so the city asked the contractor to replace the whole roof instead of half of it. The city's update describes work on that building, not a closure of the beach.
The dates still ahead
The city's own forecasts go well beyond the parks. As of September 8, here is the schedule the engineering department gave, in order:
- Mid to late October 2026: US 1 Beautification construction begins after an early October preconstruction meeting. VisualScape was recommended for the contract.
- November 2026: construction expected to begin on the 117th Street bridge replacement, with a 240-day completion timeline. The city recommended General Asphalt Co. for the job but needed FDOT concurrence before awarding the contract.
- Late January: forecast completion of the Quay property.
- Summer 2027: Aviation Boulevard trail lighting slated for construction.
- Late summer 2027: Sombrero Beach Road bike path construction expected to begin. The city plans a community outreach meeting before the plans go to FDOT.
These are forecasts from a single September memo. The 117th Street bridge was still waiting on state approval when the memo was written. The 116th and 112th Street bridges are further back, with plans still in FDOT review.
If you own a home in the Middle Keys but spend part of the year away, a lot near your place may have changed since your last visit, from new turf at the dog park to construction on US 1. The House Watch and property management team at BHHS Knight & Gardner Realty checks on homes around Marathon while their owners are away, and our Marathon office can tell you how the Quay and marina work is coming along when you're planning your next stay. Contact Us.
