THE GROWTH OF NORTHWEST FLORIDA AND MORE

Before I start, Happy Thanksgiving to All. As we have seen, the real estate market has had some ups and downs. But, as I have been conveying to you, the Northwest Florida market is prime for a number of opportunities. Some of them are;

1) The Military BRAC decision, which is moving thousand of military personnel to the area, along with some unique Defense Programs that brings additional Defense Contracting personnel.
2) The new International Airport in Panama City (See below and other Blog entries).
3) The new Research Campus outside the gates of Eglin Air Force Base.
4) Florida A&M University decision to move a Campus with four degree programs to the downtown district of Crestview, Florida.
5) The modernization of the Crestview Industrial Airport on the north side of town, which employs thousands of jobs, which plans to add thousands more. Thanks to the State of Florida by giving Okaloosa County millions of dollars for improvements and placing it in an "Florida Enterprise Zone". It should be noted, this airport is one of the most unique in the South and will attract a number of Defense Contractors and Non-Defense Contractors, alike.
6) The Privatization of Military Housing, which is reducing the number of homes by over a thousand and relying on the local community to absorb the need. This iniatitive is the desire of the military, which is to reduce their housing inventory and empower the service personnel to use their Basic Allowance of Housing and let them make their on choices. This is a more cost effective way of meeting the needs of the uniform personnel. Note: I am a former Military Housing Director for the South United States.
7) A new Military Resort on the Beaches of Fort Walton Beach. Request for Qualification has already to sent out.
8) A new Lifestyle Center for shopping (Replacing the Exchange and Commissary on Base)outside the gates of Eglin AFB for both active duty and retired personnel. Eglin AFB was named one of the first to have such a Lifestyle Center built. Request for Proposal to be released shortly.
9) And so much more.

So, continue to stay tuned. Their is more on the way. The I-10 corridor is a very unique area from Mobile, AL to Jacksonville, FL, with Okaloosa/Walton County being in the middle of it all. I am always ready to talk in detail, just give me a call at 1-888-389-3665.

PANAMA CITY
A shorter runway may be added to new airport
5,000-foot span would relieve flight traffic
By PAT KELLY Florida Freedom Newspapers (850) 747-5076 pkelly@pcnh.com

PANAMA CITY — The Panama City-Bay County Airport Authority has set a Dec. 19 deadline to a vote on what Chairman Joe Tannehill calls “the last piece of the puzzle” for the international airport under construction. The hope is to add a 5,000-foot crosswind runway that will handle smaller aircraft and make traffic less congested on the 10,000-foot concrete runway now being built. Tannehill said Airport Authority members want to move forward so the smaller runway can be completed by the airport’s opening in May 2010. The shorter asphalt runway will be used by smaller commercial aircraft and corporate jets. That adds a crucial safety factor that pilots of larger international flights should find comforting, Tannehill said. Completion of the crosswind runway is not necessary for the $318 million airport to open in May 2010, “but we are trying to get the runway down with the money we now have available,” he said. The asphalt runway should cost about $18 million, far less than the $98 million runway that will handle heavier aircraft and last up to 40 years. The Airport Authority should have the money for the second runway, Tannehill said. The airport is $17 million under budget and there is about $17 million in untapped contingency funds. Another reason for the Dec. 19 deadline is that Phoenix Construction Services is about 55 percent finished with the longer runway. The company will move some of its equipment from the site within 60 days, Tannehill said. If the crosswind runway decision is delayed and Phoenix is forced to move equipment back to the site, the runway’s cost could increase.