Thursday, October 22, 2009

Southwest Airline coming to the Panhandle on May 2010


The St. Joe Company and Southwest Airlines announced a strategic alliance providing for the commencement of air service to Northwest Florida’s new international airport near Panama City Beach, Florida in May 2010.

The Bay County Tourism Development Council, Coastal Vision 300 and the South Walton Tourism Development Council have been working together with local groups to promote the opening of the Northwest Florida International Airport in Panama City.

Southwest Airlines is bringing low fares and excellent service to the Emerald Coast just in time for the 2010 summer vacation season! Southwest’s entry into the Panama City market will make it more accessible and affordable for people in other states to enjoy sugar-white-sand beaches, incredibly gentle blue waters, and an amazing variety of visitor accommodations that Northwest Florida has to offer. You can start booking your tickets on December 2009, there will be eight flights a day to and from four cities with a daily capacity of 2000 passengers. They have not yet announced specific schedules or which cities will be serviced by direct flights.

Bill Owen – Lead Planner in the Schedule Planning Department for Southwest Airlines said “If you’ve never visited the Panama City area, believe me, you have an incredible treat in store. I’m already planning my family’s vacation there next summer.”

Check out www.atthebeachfl.com for pictures and things to do in the South Walton area and www.atthebeachdestin.com for the Destin area

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Panama City Airport Name Not Satisfactory



There is a great deal of people unhappy with the name of the new airport opening May 2010 in Bay County.

“Several members of the Bay County Commission and the Panama City Beach City Council, along with Mayor Gayle Oberst, have expressed disappointment with the new name for the Panama City airport.”

The members of the Airport Authority may or may not reconsider changing the new name. I hope they do since it will be very confusing to have two airport with the name so similar.

“Greg Donovan, Director of Northwest Florida Regional Airport in Okaloosa County, said he would like the Panama City airport officials to readdress their name.

We have worked over a year in branding. We think it’s poor choice for them to have a name that so closely affiliates with a brand we are doing.”

I will let you know more about this issue on my blog.

Check out our website AtTheBeachDestin.com for more real estate and condo news and AtTheBeachFL.com for real estate on 30A

Monday, October 12, 2009

The Marina Developers Could Have Won Negotiations



Did the Marina Developers win?
A Destin’s residence thinks that the developers have won the approval for the construction of a 15-story Condo/Hotel building on Destin Harbor. The Marina Developers have been negotiating since February 2009 and it seems that they have won all the negotiations with more benefits.

1. Providing space on-site for one end of a U.S. 98 crossover.
2. Allowing the museum to build a 4,000 feet facility at the marina.
3. Making several changes to the fleet’s lease agreement at 206 Harbor Boulevard,
where the city plans to build Royal Melvin Heritage Park.

The city bought the land for $4.6 million in 2006, and is in line for a $2.3 million state grant to cover half the cost. Because part of the land goes to the fleet’s commercial use, the state could cut $600,000 out of the grant. City Manager Greg Kisela told the Planning Agency that reducing the fleet’s footprint improves the odds of getting all the money.

“I’m very comfortable they have provided an adequate public benefit,” Kisela said.

“It is a wonderful thing when we can contribute what we think is a wonderful (addition) to what goes into the community,” Marina attorney Mike Chesser said. “Nothing has been left to chance … we’re trying to make it chapter two or three of what the Destin Fishing Fleet has begun.”


Click here for more information on this article, I will keep you posted on more news in Destin.

Check out our website AtTheBeachDestin.com for more real estate and condo news and AtTheBeachFL.com for real estate on 30A

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Destin Marina Condo



I was reading on the Destin Log that the new 15-story Destin Harbor Hotel-Condo could help or destroy Destin’s Fishing Fleet. Destin’s Local Planning Agency is going to review the public benefits proposal from Destin Fishing Fleet to allow a construction of a building higher than 10 stories.

Under the city’s land-use code, developers can exceed the city’s limits on height and units per acre if they provide a suitable public benefit in return.

In February, marina representatives asked the council if their proposed benefits package — $879,000 to the harbor fund, burying overhead utilities, a five-foot wide harbor accessway, land for an amphitheater at neighboring Royal Melvin Heritage Park and relocating the History & Fishing Museum to the marina property — would be enough for a 160-foot tall, 480-unit development. A yes vote wouldn’t have guaranteed development approval, but it would have guaranteed that the height and unit density were acceptable.

For more public benefits on the revised proposal click here.

Check out our website AtTheBeachDestin.com for more real estate and condo news and AtTheBeachFL.com for real estate on 30A