OKALOOSA COUNTY MAKES A COMMITTMENT TO THE EMERALD COAST WILDLIFE REFUGE ON OKALOOSA ISLAND

Great job Okaloosa County for looking to the future in job growth and recognition of the Fort Walton Beach/Okaloosa Island area.

Lease approved for Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge

By KARI C. BARLOW

315-4438 | @KariBnwfdn kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com  

OKALOOSA ISLAND — The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge will pay Okaloosa County $1 a year to lease 3.6 acres of the old Island Golf Center property. County commissioners approved the 10-year lease in mid-October. It gives the refuge two years to start building its medical clinic, education center and marine center.“Our founder years ago had pinpointed that piece of property as their dream for where the refuge would end up,” refuge Director Amanda Wilkerson said. “It’s perfect for us because it’s centrally located in our coverage area.”The refuge is finalizing design and construction plans for the clinic and education center. Wilkerson hopes to have a development order in hand within in the next 45 to 120 days.“I’ve been with the refuge since 2000, and we’ve been waiting for this since then,” she said. “I’m definitely excited.” The medical clinic — where the staff will rehab injured and sick animals — will be about 4,000 square feet. “It’s going to be a lot different from what we’re normally used to because it’s going to be an interactive building,” Wilkerson said. “Our ICU, nursery, exam rooms and surgery center are all going to be viewable by one-way glass. There will be an intercom system so people can actually communicate with people on the inside and see what’s going on.” Speakers will allow workers to explain to visitors outside the room exactly what they’re doing to an animal. That setup is designed to educate the public about the service the refuge provides. “Until people really see a heron that has been maimed by fishing line and the procedures it takes to get that animal back on its feet, they have no idea,” Wilkerson said. “Then it becomes more serious to them.” She said the refuge is “working on potential financing” for the clinic, which could open by late 2013. The proposed education center will house the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge Academy of Zoological Sciences, a charter school that initially will serve sixth- and seventhgrade students. “As soon as the building is done, we’re ready to go,” Wilkerson said. “If the funding that we need … comes through, that will open the fall of 2013.” The refuge also plans to build a marine center that will be used for stranded marine life, research and necropsies. The 3.6-acre site sits on 35 acres of the old golf course. The land includes a heron rookery, a pine and oak hammock, coastal dunes, drainage ponds and several acres of wetlands. “The property is beautiful,” Wilkerson said. “It has a lot of educational benefits … with its different kinds of habitats.” County commissioners agreed in June to allow Destin nonprofit AquaGreen to build a $20 million fish hatchery on 4.4 acres of the property and Destin-based Dominion Capital to build Wild Willy’s Adventure Zone on 2.8 acres there. Wilkerson said she is confident the three groups can co-exist while also preserving natural areas for visitors. “We’ve already talked about different ways we can partner with each other,” she said. “I think it’s going to strengthen all of our organizations by being there.” The refuge plans to kick off a campaign in December to raise money to build the clinic and other facilities.  For more information, go to www.ecwildliferefuge.com   or call Amanda Wilkerson at 650-1880.

OKALOOSA ISLAND (FORT WALTON BEACH AREA) TO BREAKGROUND ON NEWEST PARK IN NOVEMBER 2012

Great job Okaloosa County Commission for their foresight in bringing more excitement and things to do in the Fort Walton Beach area.   

Okaloosa to mark newest park on island

By ANGEL McCURDY

315-4432 | @AngelMnwfdn amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com  

OKALOOSA ISLAND — A groundbreaking has been set for the newest park on Okaloosa Island that will house 14 acres of wildlife habitat as well as a new adventure land, fish hatchery and home for the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge.  What to do with the old Island Golf Center property had been debated for years. The topic was discussed by several Okaloosa County Commissions, and everything from an amphitheater to a dog park was considered.  Now, the talk is over and the planning has begun.    “We’ve talked about what to do with the property since (Hurricane) Ivan,” said Kathy Newby, the county’s public information officer. “We floundered for a long time. Now, something was finally decided at a workshop last year.”  A groundbreaking is set for 10 a.m. Nov. 9 to celebrate Veterans Park, which was named last month. The 35 acres will house Wild Willy’s Adventure Island, the wildlife refuge’s veterinary clinic and zoological school, and the Gulf Coast Marine Science Center’s fish hatchery. “Pretty much, we’re in the infant stage of what we’re going to do,” said James Puckett, operations manager for the county‘s parks and recreation department. “Some of the ideas we’ve discussed were walking trails, a natural area, maybe some picnic tables. We’re trying not to impact vegetation.”Puckett said 14 of the 35 acres will be kept natural, but will have walking trails. The other 17 acres will be for Wild Willy’s, which will include a 3,000-square-foot restaurant, yogurt shop and zip line.  The Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge has plans to expand. It hopes to have a veterinary clinic with viewing area, marine mammal stranding center and its zoological school within the next two years. “We’re working on our development order and finalizing architectural plans now, but we should get under way soon,” said Amanda Wilkerson, director of the refuge.  County Commissioner Don Amunds has been a big supporter of keeping the park natural and getting the right people involved with the developed part.  “I think the public will really enjoy it,” Amunds said. “We listened to the public and they were consistent with what they wanted — green space not structures — and that’s what we’re giving them.”

NORTHWEST FLORIDA BEACHES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT PROJECTS "IMPRESSIVE GROWTH"

BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME.   Words, which hold true for the panhandle of Florida.  As noted, the Airport in Panama City and  the Northwest Florida Regional Airport in Fort Walton Beach, are experiencing much growth.  Why?  Well it was a, Good thing/Bad Thing.  BP Oil Spill cause significant damages to Gulf.  BP Oil spends millions of dollars in advertising around the country.  This advertising and awareness has cause a significant increase in tourism, which also has led to investment in the real estate market for both vacation rentals and second homes.  The secret is out, and the Emerald Coast is somewhere to spend some time, invest in real estate, and/or make it their home of the future, which many have done already.  I expect with the International pilots of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter School ramping up, we will also have the eyes of the International world on us in a big way, as well.

Airport projecting ‘impressive growth’

By VALERIE GARMAN

 747-5076 | @valeriegarman vgarman@pcnh.com  

PANAMA CITY — Air travel in Northwest Florida has changed since Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport opened in May 2010.  At a public workshop Tuesday at the Bay County Library to discuss the airport’s master planning process, project manager Paul Puckli reminded audience members how Beaches International has changed the face of air travel in the region since its opening. “You’ve got an airport now that has enhanced facilities, improved facilities, state-of-the-art facilities, that provides you an even better link to the air transportation system,” Puckli said. “It’s really promoting air transportation in this area like your other airport just couldn’t do.” The meeting provided an overview of the 16- to 18-month master planning process that, once complete, will outline five-, 10- and 20-year planning horizons for the airport, and give officials a tool to design the airport of the future.  Officials are in the process of forecasting future airport activity, and significant growth is expected. With the airport growing at a rate of 5 percent per year, considerably higher than the national average of 2 percent, Puckli outlined a 20-year activity forecast for the airport that projects passenger activity to double.  “In the next 20 years we’re looking at 950,000 passengers,” Puckli said. “Based on the growth we’ve seen, that’s not way out of line. It’s pretty impressive growth.”  Beaches International has almost tripled the passenger rate of the old airport, from 150,000 to 427,000, and has increased the market share from 9 percent to 23 percent. “Now that we’ve seen the growth, can that terminal building accommodate that growth? No it can’t. Can that parking lot accommodate that growth? No it can’t,” Puckli said. “We’re looking at what we can do to improve it as an air transportation facility and an economic engine for the region.”    Puckli said a major part of the planning process will be to determine the best use for the 4,000 acres of land the airport sits on, the majority of which is undeveloped. He said a crosswind runway most likely will be constructed within the 20-year planning period, but there are no plans for a new runway at this time. After activity forecasts are finalized, an appointed Technical Advisory Committee will determine facility needs and recommend a development program for the airport. A second public workshop will be in February to discuss the committee’s progress and gather further public input, and the airport board should be set to adopt a final plan by mid-2013.  A master plan is needed for airports to be eligible to receive state and federal funding for improvement projects. The process is funded primarily through grants from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation. Puckli encouraged the community to get involved in the process because public input is an essential part of the airport of the future.  “We’re trying to be as open as we can be,” Puckli said. “Truly, this is your airport.”

EGLIN AFB (33RD FIGHTER WING) TAKES COMMAND OF NEW SQUADRON AT TYNDAL AFB (PANAMA CITY)

This is another indicator of the influence Eglin AFB has in the military to streamline and take advantage of the unique strategic value it has and the efficiencies it can produce with actions, such as this.  I would expect you will see more opportunities like this at Eglin AFB to take control and host other commands from all services at one of the largest facilities in the U. S. military, which is about the size of Rhode Island. 

33rd Fighter Wing takes command of new squadron

337th Air Control Squadron will continue to operate at Tyndall

By LAUREN SAGE REINLIE

315-4445 | @LaurenRnwfdn lreinlie@nwfdailynews.com  

EGLIN AFB — The 33rd Fighter Wing took command of a new squadron Wednesday. Commanders now oversee about 300 people at Tyndall Air Force Base near Panama City. The move to take command of the 337th Air Control Squadron (formerly the 325th) is part of the process to reassign Tyndall’s 325th Fighter Wing from education and training to air combat command. The reassignment officially took effect Monday.  Because the 337th Air Control Squadron will remain a training center, it will fall under command of the training wing at Eglin Air Force Base while continuing to operate at Tyndall.  “It makes sense to leave them there and have command and control under another air education and training unit,” said Lt. Col. Randal Efferson, deputy commander of the 33rd Operations Group, which will oversee the new squadron.  Navy Capt. Michael Saunders, who commands the group, attended a brief ceremony at Tyndall on Wednesday. The 337th Air Control Squadron is currently training about 130 students to be air battle managers. They will be tasked with collecting and controlling information for pilots to use during war, said Lt. Col. Gary Smith, commander of the squadron at Tyndall who will remain in his position through the reassignment. The squadron also has about 70 other airmen, 45 officers and eight civilians.  Smith said the squadron’s move to the 33rd Fighter Wing will be positive. “It’s a very amicable change,” he said. “The leadership there at Eglin has already been very supportive in trying to bring us into the organization and to make sure we have everything we need.” He said the squadron will continue to work closely with Tyndall, but is looking forward to building a closer relationship with Eglin.  The change in command will not greatly alter the day-to-day operations right away.    Eventually, as the 33rd Fighter Wing becomes certified as a training school and expands its scope, air battle management students at Tyndall will be able to work closely with student pilots learning to fly F-35 jets at Eglin, Smith said. They will be able to run simultaneous training missions. “Our students will work with their students out in the airspace over the Gulf of Mexico,” he said. “As the F-35s come onboard, we can go ahead and have these relationships made and be ready to train with these guys.” While about 80 miles separates the two bases, it’s only about 10 minutes by military jet. By pilot standards, that makes Eglin and Tyndall practically neighbors, Efferson noted.  “We feel like we’re in the driveway when we’re within 100 miles.”

PUBLIC/PRIVATE VENTURE BEING EXPLORED IN FORT WALTON BEACH

Support the Use if TIF Funds for Parking Garage in FWB 

(Click Above to Sign Petition)

It is widely known for a downtown to survive and prosper, infrastructure must be improved to entice customers to patronize local businesses.  One of the improvements, which is always on the top of minds of Fort Walton Beach Downtown business owners, is the need for a Parking Garage to accommodate their present and future needs of their customers.  Not only will this accommodate the business owners, it will attract many new customers to the historic downtown area to enjoy a great shopping experience, which many have not had. It is also understood to attract investors, developers, restaurant, and retail owners, the City must invest in infrastructure improvements, such as a Parking Garage, to further entice investment in the City of Fort Walton Beach.  Why is this important now?  In today's financial world, the opportunity to find a lending source willing to invest in a community is few and far between.  With a Lender willing to loan over $25M to the Developers of the Landmark Center today, a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) source will be created over a 12-14 year period to pay for the construction of the Parking Garage only, which will be accessible to the public at no charge.  If the Landmark Center Project with Parking Garage is not constructed the TIF is not created.   Not only has the developer found a Lender to loan the money for the project, the developer will also assume the Design, Construction, Management, and Maintenance of the Parking Garage for the life of the project and at NO COST TO THE CITY.   When you have a Lending Institution interested in investing in your area, you should not only open the door, you need to invite them in and welcome them with open arms.  If not, they have the tendency to move on to another location. 

Petition Letter

Greetings,

I'm writing to plead with the City Council of Fort Walton Beach to support the investment of Tax Increment Funding created by the Landmark Center Project Development to assist in the construction of the adjacent Parking Garage which will be accessible to all of the public so they may enjoy the Downtown businesses. This public/private venture is a unique opportunity for residents, tourist, and guests to visit the businesses of the Historic Downtown District Fort Walton Beach to help stimulate growth in this area and relieve the tax burden on the City of Fort Walton Beach and their citizens. The investment in our downtown business district will have a number of other financial benefits, which comes with economic growth, such as reduce crime, increase investment, and sense of pride that will be seen by hundreds of thousands of passerby’s.

With the Developers designing, managing, and maintaining the Parking Garage for the life of the Development at no extra cost to the City, it is without a doubt one of the best investments the City of Fort Walton Beach can make to benefit our community.

We can’t afford to continue to pass up opportunities to improve our City. This opportunity does not exist if the Developers don’t invest $25M in our community and I hope the City Council and other responsible parties understand the need to make this investment and others which will bring this project to completion.



Sincerely,

SENATOR NELSON SPEAKS TO NORTHWEST FLORIDA MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION ON LOCAL ISSUES AFFECTING NORTHWEST FLORIDA

Senator Nelson visits the Military Officers of Northwest Florida and speaks on a number of issues, such as sequestration, Eglin AFB, and RETORE ACT.  For real estate developers in Northwest Florida, the latter is very important.  Senator Nelson noted a bi-partisan delegation past a law overwhelming which will require BP Oil to pay the 5 affected states in fines, billions of dollars to address the environmental and economic damages caused by the BP Oil Spill.  It was noted, with the profits made by BP, these fines will not adversely affect them and they expect them to be paid in the near future.   

Sen. Nelson calls for more cooperation in Washington

DUSTY RICKETTS / Daily News

2012-09-05 17:24:26

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson is asking for more bipartisanship in Washington and a less “my way or the highway” attitude to move the country forward.  Nelson was the guest speaker Wednesday at the Northwest Florida Military Officers Association meeting at Northwest Florida Regional Airport. He discussed the threat of sequestration, health care reform and the challenges of being in Washington when elected officials are more divided by party lines than they have been in decades.  “This is a different time in politics. I’ve never seen it like this before,” said Nelson, a Democrat who faces Republican Connie Mack IV in the Nov. 6 election. “There’s a lot of intolerance out there, a lot of intolerance that they don’t want to hear the other fella’s point of view. And you can’t run a country with that mindset. The beauty of this country and our constitutional system is that you respect the other fella’s point of view and then you work out your differences.  “Remember in the old days where partisan politics stopped at the water’s edge?” Nelson said. “On anything that had to do with foreign affairs or national defense, it was always bipartisan. When I went in as a young congressman, that’s the way it was. A lot of that’s gone now and we’ve got to get it back.”  Nelson said there have been recent examples of the two parties working together.  He used as examples the RESTORE Act, which guarantees 80 percent of all penalties BP pays for violating the Oil Pollution Control Act go to the five Gulf Coast states most affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, and the Veterans Skill Act, which makes it easier for veterans to receive civilian credentials in the same field as their military training.  Nelson said he is confident that $1 trillion in defense cuts from sequestration scheduled to be implemented next year can be avoided, but it will take both parties working together.  Although he does not expect that to happen before the general election, Nelson said he believes new budget reforms can be decided during the lame-duck session of Congress that starts a week later.  “We’re not going to let sequestration go into effect,” Nelson said. “We’re going to have to come up with a budget solution (on tax and spending reforms) as I have outlined here because you can’t take a half trillion out of defense and not hurt our defense preparedness, and you can’t take another half trillion willy-nilly right across the board away from everything else. You’ve got to do it intelligently and surgically.”  Nelson also defended the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as not perfect but a good first step. Among the good things it does is allow parents to keep their children on their family insurance policy through age 26, prevent insurance companies from canceling policies in the middle of medical treatment or deny someone coverage because of an existing condition. “Yours truly has read it. Yours truly helped write it,” Nelson responded after being asked how Congress could approve the act without reading it. “I didn’t get what I wanted because we had to get 60 votes to get this thing passed, and there are a lot of things in there I would have had different. I would have gotten a lot more out of the pharmaceutical industry than is in there. “Now that the Supreme Court has said it’s constitutional, we will be able to fix it where it needs fixing,” he added.

NORTHWEST FLORIDA REAL ESTATE MARKET IS ON THE RISE

Local real estate sales up in July

Median prices rose in Walton, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa counties

By DUSTY RICKETTS

 315-4448 | @DustyRnwfdn dricketts@nwfdailynews.com  

 It’s been a tough five years, but the local real estate market showed signs of improvement in July. Florida Realtors, the largest real estate organization in the state, recently released its market updates for July sales in Okaloosa, Walton and Santa Rosa counties. Median sales prices for single-family homes and townhomes and condominiums increased in all three counties compared to July 2011. “What it means when the prices start going up is the inventory that was created by the recession has basically been foreclosed on, resold or taken out of the market in some way,” said David Goetsch, a local economist and chairman of the Okaloosa County Economic Development Council. “What’s happening now is you’re actually beginning to see new houses be built and get sold. That’s the little trigger; that’s how you know that prices are going to go up when that inventory is gone.” In Okaloosa County, 231 single-family home sales closed in July at a median price of $188,000. That was 5.6 percent more than July 2011, when the median sales price was $178,000.  The median sales price of the county’s townhomes and condos increased 5.8 percent, from $198,450 in July 2011 to $210,000 in July of this year. Median prices jumped even more in Walton and Santa Rosa counties.  Walton County’s median sales price for single-family homes in July was $320,000, an 8.8 percent increase from July 2011, when the median price was $294,000. The median price of each townhome and condo increased 21.2 percent, from $195,000 in July 2011 to $236,250 last July. In Santa Rosa County, the median sales price of single-family homes in July was $193,500, a 17.3 percent jump from July of last year, when the median price was $165,000. The median sales price of a condo and townhome increased 43.4 percent, going from $198,750 in July 2011 to $285,000 last July. “I think the prices will continue to go up just slightly, but very, very slowly because our economic recovery is not strong enough to make them go up very much,” Goetsch said. “What you’re seeing right now is good news. It’s not going to level off where it is, but it’s not going to go up that much more, either.”