Race World Offshore Seeks to Use Bayview Park for Overflow During Record-Breaking Championship

Residents question plan to turn newly renovated neighborhood park into race staging area; another example of City Hall’s ongoing transparency crisis in the wake of a sweeping Grand Jury report.

The organizers of the Key West World Championship are asking the city for permission to temporarily use Bayview Park as an overflow staging area for race boats, tow vehicles, and support RVs during next week’s event — a proposal that has already sparked pushback from nearby residents, drawn criticism from city commissioners, and renewed concerns about transparency inside City Hall.

In a letter dated Oct. 28 and signed by Race World Offshore President Larry Bleil, the organization requested permission from the City Manager’s Office and Parks and Recreation Department to use Bayview Park from Nov. 1 through Nov. 10 to accommodate what it called an “unprecedented” number of race entries for this year’s offshore powerboat championship.

“This year’s Key West World Championship has achieved a record-breaking 95 race boat entries — exceeding all prior years and fully maxing out our primary staging area at Truman Waterfront Park,” Bleil wrote.

The request said roughly 23 race boats, their tow vehicles, and accompanying support RVs would be parked at Bayview Park, describing the location as the “most suitable overflow area” to ensure safety, efficiency, and minimal community disruption.

However, Bayview Park was not part of Race World Offshore’s original 2025 event application, which covered only Truman Waterfront Park and adjacent federal and state lands.

That application — approved earlier this year — required RWO to coordinate with agencies including the U.S. Navy, NOAA, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, provide detailed event schedules, undergo pre- and post-event inspections, and maintain unfettered access to all adjoining public property.

It also specified that organizers “may not stay overnight on Truman Waterfront without prior approval” and prohibited use of the inner basin for any activities.

In short, the Oct. 28 letter represents a new, separate request to expand the championship footprint beyond what the city initially approved.

The proposal has struck a nerve with residents of the quiet Old Town neighborhood surrounding Bayview Park — particularly because the park has been undergoing extensive taxpayer-funded renovations in recent months, including landscaping, drainage, and upgrades to its athletic and recreational facilities.

Several residents questioned why the city would consider turning a newly restored community park into a temporary staging ground for a commercial event. Many have suggested that vacant commercial property such as the former Searstown shopping center would be a more logical option, especially since the city already uses that site to stage and store municipal vehicles entering or leaving its fleet.

District 1 Commissioner Monica Haskell, who represents the Bayview Park area, confirmed Tuesday that she had been alerted by city management to the request.

She also said that she opposed approval, but was unaware whether the request was approved or not. In response, she wrote to interim (maybe) City Attorney Kendal Harden to express her opposition and seek more information.

However, other commissioners apparently were not notified.

Commissioner Sam Kaufman said he was hearing of the matter for the first time when contacted by Above the Fold.

“This is the first I am hearing of this request, as city management has not shared the October 28 letter or advised the Commission of these circumstances,” Kaufman said. “In general, we should always err on the side of protecting the peace and enjoyment of our residential neighborhoods. The race organizers should have adhered to the terms of their contract with the City and planned further in advance to address any space concerns. Using Bayview Park for large-scale staging seems highly irregular and raises legitimate questions from nearby residents.”

The City Manager’s Office, led by Brian Barroso, did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. The office’s stated policy is not to speak directly to the media, instead routing all communications through formal public records channels.

It also remains unclear whether Mayor Danise Henriquez — who has close personal and professional ties to several of the event’s organizers and other influential families behind the Key West powerboat community — approved or informally authorized the Bayview Park use on her own ahead of any public review.

Under city policy, a request of this type should go before the full City Commission for a vote, but the next scheduled meeting is after the start of the World Championship, leaving little time for formal approval before boats and equipment begin arriving on the island.

The situation has fueled new concerns about Key West’s persistent lack of transparency, echoing findings from a scathing grand jury report released earlier this year as part of the “Bubba Bozo Trio” corruption investigation. That report accused city officials of routinely conducting business outside of public view, circumventing formal commission approval processes, and allowing high-profile decisions to be made by a small circle of insiders — often without documentation or public input.

The World Championship, scheduled for Nov. 3–10, is one of Key West’s largest and most profitable tourism draws, attracting tens of thousands of visitors and generating millions of dollars in local economic impact. Even so, city leaders have long wrestled with concerns over congestion, noise, and neighborhood disruption during race week — particularly in Old Town.

The City Manager’s Office and Parks and Recreation Department are expected to review the proposal this week. It is not yet clear whether public comment will be sought before a decision is made.

This is an evolving story. Watch this space.