Rising Hopes: Upper Keys Center

Clockwise from the left: Land is excavated to prepare to build the foundation of the new Upper Keys Center. Construction crews install stormwater management components at the site of the new Upper Keys Center. An artistic rendering of the new CFK Upper Keys Center.

Rising Hopes: New Upper Keys Center opening August 2021

The College of the Florida Keys will soon have a new home for its Upper Keys Center with a brand new 38,000 square-foot building in Key Largo. Though COVID-19 caused the cancellation of a groundbreaking celebration in April, excitement nevertheless mounted this spring as the site of the old Shell World building at MM106 was cleared and prepped for its new purpose. In September, construction officially commenced. Fences wrapped in brightly colored banners now proudly display images of the College’s future home to travelers on the busy Overseas Highway.

CFK’s new Upper Keys Center is set to open its doors in August 2021. With it comes a wealth of educational, workforce, and economic opportunities for the people in northern Monroe County. The College plans to expand several programs in the upper Keys: Nursing, Emergency Medical Technician, Paramedic, Marine Environmental Technology, Marine Resource Management, Public Safety (law enforcement and corrections academies), Construction Technologies Apprenticeships, and Project ACCESS, a program for students with intellectual disabilities. In addition, the College plans to develop new programs at the facility including: Pharmacy Technician, Phlebotomy, and Dental Hygiene.

The expanded space will allow twice as many students to comfortably study, learn, and grow. The facility features seven classrooms, two nursing labs, one bio-chemical lab, a 150-seat auditorium, three apprenticeship labs, a testing center, and a library. There are also student and employee lounges, a student activities room, and a patio deck. In preparation for the possibility of a major storm, there is a generator as well as a staging area for a fuel tanker to park, which could help with fuel re-stocking for the entire island chain.

Unlike that scenic highway location where the Upper Keys Center will reside, the road leading to the development of the much-needed community asset has been long, winding, and sometimes bumpy. Committed to the task, CFK President Dr. Gueverra and his team rallied support from federal, state, and local government entities as well as businesses, nonprofits, and private citizens. In 2019, a $16 million grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA) provided the major funding boost needed to make this shared community dream a reality.

Stay tuned on the CFK’s social media pages to follow the progress of construction. In the meantime, prospective students can apply on the College’s website at CFK.edu to be a part of the first class of students at the new Upper Keys Center in the Fall 2021 semester.