David Wolkowsky, developer who transformed Key West, dies at 99

In 1962, Key West, Florida, was a remote naval outpost on six square miles of limestone rock, mostly known for its proximity to Cuba at the height of nuclear tensions with the communist island. Rickety wood-frame houses lined its streets, at times threatening to collapse. The declining waterfront, once a busy trading port, offered visitors little more than a selection of weather-beaten bars.

David Wolkowsky, a developer who had returned to the city of his birth after years away, saw opportunity. For the next few decades, he devoted himself to the task of restoring the island’s dilapidated historic buildings, eventually helping Key West become a major resort destination.

Wolkowsky, 99, who became widely known as “Mr. Key West” for his role transforming the island, died Sept. 23 at a hospital in Key West. The cause was complications from pneumonia, said a nephew, photographer Timothy Greenfield-Sanders.

By salvaging turn-of-thecentury homes, Wolkowsky helped ensure that the city of 25,000 retained a distinctive sense of character. Key West has an enduring eccentricity that prevents it from being just another wealthy seaside town: Free-range roosters wander the streets with impunity, bougainvillea sprouts from yards with wild abandon, and a year-round crew of crusty burnouts provides a welcome contrast to the tourists lining up for fudge and trolley tours.

David William Wolkowsky was born in Key West on Aug. 25, 1919.