Following years of contemplation, setbacks and disappointment, everything seems to be breaking right for the city of Milton.
That’s got Council member Robert Leek looking over his shoulder a little bit.
“Things are going so well it’s almost scary,” he said.
Not only is Santa Rosa County contemplating proposals to develop 3.6 acres of prime downtown Milton property where the vacant County Courthouse building now stands, the city is also in negotiations with a team that wants to reinvigorate the city’s marina and waterfront.
Even the notoriously slow trudge toward constructing a new city wastewater treatment plant and ending the daily deposit of millions of gallons of treated wastewater into the Blackwater River has gained momentum.
Leek said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection has notified the city of its intent to permit both a new wastewater treatment plant and construction of spray fields at which to deposit effluent presently being pumped into the river.
Milton Council stays neutral on Courthouse Building purchase
At its Jan. 13 meeting, the City Council, at the request of Leek, discussed the proposals put forth by four groups, including the city itself, to a county request for bids from companies considering purchasing the courthouse building and the area around it.
Council members voted to pull back from consideration its Milton bid, which sought control of three parcels around the courthouse property for $100. The Board of County Commissioners will consider the remaining bids at a public meeting later this month.
The council declined, however, to endorse any of the three remaining development groups as the city’s favorite.
“These bidders have agreed to work with the city, we don’t have to be behind them, they’re going to be behind us,” Councilman Gavin Hawthorne said. “This is our baby, we would utilize it, and beautify it. We don’t have to go with anyone as long as they’re willing to work with us.”
City Manager Ed Spears pointed out the city has leverage, even if the county will make the decision on which of the four potential developers is selected.
“The only one that can issue a development order of the magnitude projected is this council,” he said.
Spears also noted the city bid had “made our point” by requesting Oak Street, at the southern end of the negotiated properties, be turned over to the city after being released to the county’s control for “the better part of two decades” as courthouse functions outgrew the building itself.
Council members generally agreed that while none of the proposals offered by the three groups they had competed against were perfect, each of them—Bayou District Consulting in partnership with SMP Architecture, ParsCo, Diversity Program Advisors—had put forth transformative options.
“It’s exciting if those companies can deliver on what they’ve put down,” Councilman Casey Powell said.
Bayou District Consulting, whose resume indicates experience in developing along whole city blocks and in restoration of historic buildings such as the core of the Santa Rosa County Courthouse, has offered to pay $1.14 million for the courthouse building and the surrounding 3.6 acres.
ParsCo has offered $100,000 for the land and building and indicates it would call upon the city of Milton for support in providing infrastructure to the project. Like Bayou District Consulting, ParsCo indicates plans to salvage the portion of the County Courthouse constructed in 1927 and considered a historic structure.
The two companies offering renovation of the historic core of the courthouse drew praise from the Santa Rosa County Historical Society.
“The County’s RFP attracted two proposals from highly accomplished firms with demonstrated expertise in historic preservation and adaptive reuse—work that respects the unique history, heritage, culture, and character of the communities they serve,” Historical Society President Cassandra Sharp said in a release.. “This project represents the largest redevelopment investment in Milton in decades.”
The third bidder, Diversity Program Advisors, has asked the county to turn the land and courthouse building over to it at no charge. In exchange it offers to pay $1 million to demolish the entire structure and abate hazards associated with the demolition.
Waterfront development on the Blackwater River in the works
The city in November considered bids from three groups interested in developing along the city waterfront, and in December voted to enter negotiations with Jones South Development in an effort to come to terms on a contract for the work requested.
Redeveloping the city’s riverfront to create a business and residential zone centered around a rebuilt marina has been a priority for Milton leaders for more than a decade.
In 2010 the city obtained $350,000 in Tourist Development Council funds and contributed almost $175,000 of its own money to purchase an aging marina facility that has since been torn down with an eye toward the future.
Past plans have envisioned as many as 34 office and retail spaces, two apartment complexes and community elements like green spaces and a dog park, all built around the marina and along the Blackwater River.
Too often in the past, efforts to encourage development along the riverfront have fallen through. City officials pulled back requests for proposals in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
The Jones South plan calls for construction of a full service marina complete with retail space offering merchandise related to boating, fishing and recreating. Under its proposal the company would also repair existing docks and add new ones, according to Councilman Larry McKee, who is negotiating with the developer on behalf of the city.
“Their plans are for developing the whole area around the marina,” McKee said. “They’re improving the whole area.”
McKee and city staff are scheduled to present the results of their discussions with Jones South Development in March.
Its bid sheet offers to provide a boardwalk connecting the marina to downtown and to be developed areas there that promise “the charm of old Florida” highlighted by natural landscaping and thoughtful design.
Residents and tourists alike will flock to a marina Jones South promises, to find “a vibrant place to live, work, dine and enjoy the beauty of the Blackwater River.”
One sticking point in the negotiations was a request by the potential developer to have the city donate four city-owned parcels of land near the marina development site at which Jones South would build “luxury residential real estate.”
Several council members opined that a land lease or something similar might be in the better interest of the city than a donation of valuable residential property.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Milton decides to exit battle for Santa Rosa Courthouse property
Reporting by Tom McLaughlin, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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