OKALOOSA COUNTY ASKS FOR $299 MILLION IN STIMULUS MONEY - HWY 85 EXPANSION

Okay folks. If you don't think Okaloosa County has it eyes on moving people to the North, you haven't been keeping your eyes on the ball. If part of this comes to be, it will put Crestview in the bulleye for more growth beyond what is planned.


Okaloosa asks for $299 million in stimulus money for SR 85 expansion
By KARI C. BARLOW Northwest Florida Daily News 315-4438 kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com

Okaloosa County has applied for a $299 million chunk of federal stimulus money to overhaul infrastructure in the north end of the county. The prize being sought is the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery, or TIGER discretionary grant, which is funded from a national pot of $1.5 billion being distributed to projects across the country. The county’s application is centered on the expansion of the State Road 85 corridor from Mid-Bay Bridge to north of the Shoal River bridge in Crestview. “That’s never been laid out in one piece before,” said Jim Breitenfeld, president of Breitenfeld Development Services, who helped prepare the grant application. “That’s the map for going forward.” The county’s proposal lays out a plan of action for the future growth headed to north Okaloosa County in the next 20 years because of changing military missions, said Danielle Slaterpryce, director of public works for the county. Among the major projects included in the grant application are: Widening SR 85 to six lanes; Widening State Road 123 to four lanes; Extending the Mid-Bay Bridge connector to SR 85; Creating a SR 85 interchange at Duke Field; Establishing a park-andride program between Crestview and Niceville, with possible solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations; Studying alternative corridors from Shoal River to U.S. Highway 90; Studying the expansion and renovation of P.J. Adams Parkway. Slaterpryce said the economic impact of the proposed projects would be significant. As early as 2012, 6,645 jobs are projected to be created, with 631 of those jobs in construction, bringing in an average wage of $45,558. By 2030, a decade after the proposed projects would be completed, nearly 44,000 jobs would be created in the region that otherwise would not have existed, according to the county’s grant application and data from the Haas Center for Business and Economic Development at the University of West Florida. Slaterpryce said federal officials will notify winners of the grant between January and mid-February 2010. “We could win the whole thing; we could win parts of it,” she said. “I think we’re a strong contender simply because this is a huge support to our military. Because of Eglin, I think we should stand out.” Widening the SR 85 corridor directly supports the base’s mission, Breitenfeld said. “It’s critical for the (military) to get the 20,000 people who work on the base … to work, to move supplies … to function.” The special forces units bound for Eglin will be operating on both sides of SR 85 near Duke Field, he added. Slaterpryce and Breitenfeld say the expansion of the corridor would be a crucial milestone for the county. “If we don’t expand SR 85, the economic impact will be tremendous,” Breitenfeld said. “It would effectively keep the northern part of the county from developing further.” The economic impact of the projects would be felt in a number of ways but particularly in construction jobs.