It sits empty and desolate now, but for many years this was an iconic shop located just a few steps from the entrance to the wildly popular Silver Springs Amusement Park. When Disney came to Florida, bought up thousands of acres, and conned local politicians to get permission to build Disney World in Orlando, parks like Silver Springs almost immediately went into decline. As a result, neighboring businesses which lived off the tourists who visited Silver Springs, also went into decline and gradually many have simply disappeared. The area around Silver Springs is quite different now than when we moved to Ocala ten years ago.
The name, "Key West Fashions," always intrigued me. It was a shop that sold sportswear and kitschy Florida gifts and clothing, but it had nothing to do with Key West so far as I could tell. And we are probably 450 miles plus north of Key West!
The building remains a sad reminder of better times.
17 comments:
I didn't know Disney conned people to build Disney World. Then again I'm not likely to visit it any time soon.Too bad about this community's decline.
Interesting building.
Beautiful building---too bad about it's decline. Isn't this where people usually say " well that's progress". Pooey!
MB
Maybe they moved to Key West ;-) Very attractive looking building though!
I love the Southern architecture on this building. It would fit in perfectly in New Orleans or......Key West.
A lovely building, it is so sad that it is abandoned now...
I like the looks of it. It always is a surprise to me that a beautiful building could sit empty for so long. And yet just down the street, someone might be building an ugly box to open a new store or office. That's what happens here, anyway.
I wouldn't mind renovating and living in that building. Interesting how much has changed in just ten years!
Yes, that is very sad because it's beautiful. I wonder what could be done to save it from total dereliction (is that a word?)...
It is a nice-looking building, Lowell!
The building in your photo looks like "old" Florida that I remember as a kid spending a month there in the winter. It was a different time.
Progress = Politicians zoning for tax dollars and big money talks big. It takes a lot of integrity and foresight to say "no, thank you" when the big players come courting.
Key West? In Ocala? Not likely.
Fading into the proverbial mists of time. I was at Disney as a child, and really doubt I'll ever see it again.
I really like the architecture. Font on the board or as the old American westerns.
Amazing what the promise of BIG MONEY can do to the little guys. I'm sure Disney is a big part of Florida's economy.
To make things even more confusing... I think this building has a New Orleans architectural style. :)
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