The New King of South Has Been Crowned

Early Tuesday morning, a milestone was reached at the New Panama City Beach – Bay County International Airport Site. The capping of the control, a significant accomplishment in airport construction, was completed with nary a hiccup.

Dozens of workers, all using video camera cell phones to capture the event, lined the fenced perimeter to take a marked occasion in a very long process. Two huge cranes on either side of the 50 ton metal frame slowly raised the cab the 150ft to the top of the control tower.

It hovered under perfect blue skies before being bolted down atop the tower to be glassed in at a later date. While the whole event lasted a half hour or so, it was simultaneously the apogee to years of work and the crowning of Northwest Florida new king. If all goes according to plan, the new airport will be one of the signature southern airports, providing vacationers easy access to the “World’s Most Beautiful Beach” as well as low cost flights for residents. Seeing the control tower in place gave the airport a sense of tangibility, an air of “this whole airport-and-panama-city-beach-transformation thing is really going to happen, huh?” The ceremony was quite a thing to behold.

I asked Jeff Dealy, KBR’s program manager for the project, how many times in my life would I get to experience an event like the capping of the control tower. He smiled and said, “Once.”

Rates Lower – Single Family Starts Fall

We have had some good news on the housing front over the past week as the National Association of Homebuilders reported that builder confidence rose in September for the third consecutive month to its highest level since May of 2008. The Census Bureau also released a report on August home starts that showed builders broke ground on 598,000 new homes, up 1.5% from July.

The good news was tempered, however, by a surprising drop in the number of single family home starts. While overall starts were up, thanks to a resurgence in multi-family property starts, single-family starts actually fell 3% in August. Some analysts suggested the drop in single-family home starts could simply be an anomaly and point to the overall report as yet another sign that the housing market has bottomed.

Mortgage rates have continued to defy the rally in the stock market with the benchmark conforming thirty-year, fixed-rate settling in at 5.125% with no points. The fifteen year fixed also improved to just under 4.50% as the bond market continues to bet that the Federal Reserve will keep rates low for the foreseeable future. Fed Chairman, Ben Bernanke, has helped reaffirm this belief by stating that while the economy may be approaching the end of the recession the overall economy, and particularly job growth, are likely to remain weak for some time. With the apparent lack of any inflationary pressures on the horizon, the Fed is determined to keep monetary policy very accommodating to insure the economy does not slip back into recession. Over the short-run, I expect mortgage rates to remain in their current narrow range and could ease even further.

One late report out this week from the IRS said that, so far, 1.4 million first-time homebuyers have taken advantage of the $8,000 tax credit. The credit is due to expire on November 30th though there are already some calls from Congress that it should be extended. I’ll keep you posted.

Episode #23 – 3/2 Waterfront Townhome, $159k, 2 Boat Slips Xtra Lot

This week’s features:

Deal 1 – 3/2 Waterfront Townhome, $159k, 2 Boat Slips Xtra Lot
Deal 2 – 3/2 DSF Home in Palmetto Trace for $140/foot
Deal 3 – 2/2 Gulf-front Condo for less than $200k

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Call us at 850-527-5651 to see these properties or for anything else you need regarding real estate in Panama City Beach.

Show Notes

Deal 1 – 3/2 Waterfront Townhome, $159k, 2 Boat Slips Xtra Lot

List Price: $159,000
Square Feet: 1,475
Price/SqFt: $107.80
3 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
Built in 1986
This is the second time we featured this property. The first time it was listed at $199k, and it was a steal then, but the price was just dropped to an insane $159,000. This place is move-in ready, ultra clean and an absolute steal as it comes with an extra lot right next door, two boat slips (one of them is covered) and it is right on the water in a great quiet neighborhood. This deal is just amazing.

Deal 2 – 3/2 DSF Home in Palmetto Trace for $140/foot

List Price: $229,900
Square Feet: 1,642
Price/SqFt: $140.01
3 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
Built in 2005
Palmetto Trace is one of the greatest neighborhoods in Panama City Beach. With underground utilities, sidewalks, two community pools and tons of families, this is a great place to raise a family. This is one of the least expensive homes in the subdivision and move-in ready. High ceilings and a split floor plan make this a great opportunity to get into a newer home for not a lot of money.

Deal 3 – 2/2 Gulf-front Condo for less than $200k

List Price: $199,900
Square Feet: 975
Price/SqFt: 205.03
2 Bedrooms, 2 Bath
Built in 2006
Gulf-front condos are just getting so CHEAP! Majestic is one of the best amenitized condos on Panama City Beach with a huge 100+ seat movie theater, HUGE workout center with steam room and sauna, conference facilities, several pools, indoor and out, pool side bar and grill, and so much more. This condo is in great shape and ready to use.

Call us at 850-527-5651 to see these properties or for anything else you need regarding real estate in Panama City Beach.

Airport: No New Name, Serious Grass Problems

While the buzz surrounding Tuesday’s airport board meeting centered around the potential new name for the 318 million dollar gamechanger, it was talk of grass and sod that dominated the meeting. In fact, due to the overwhelming interest in the new name, a special meeting, to be held October 7th, will address that issue specifically. Although, many attending the meeting didn’t get what they came for, the very tense discussion on the condition of soil and stabilization of areas through the airport kept everyone’s attention.

James Phoenix, from Phoenix Construction, said with a pang of exasperation in his voice, “We’ve got some issues, multiple issues and we need help.”

Heavy rain and inconclusive studies on the soil at the airport site have caused the development of large areas to be completely reworked and the bill to keep rising. Large stretches of land, nearly 1400 hundred acres worth, which was believed to be stabilized, faltered under harsh rain causing all the grass to die off. Runway areas and ditches in need of regrading, have caused the most problems for site staff. “The soil condition is not what we anticipated,” said George Roberts of PBS&J, “The grass is growing and then dying off from a lack of organics. We cannot make the grass grow within the specs.”

The suggestion from airport representatives to sod the area was met with heavy contention from the board. Mr. Bill Cramer, Vice Chairman of the airport board, questioned the airport staff as to why the board was not notified of the issues in compliance with permits and what happened to the additional $500,000 dollars added to the budget to mitigate the problems.

Although no final word was reached, sodding the 1400 hundred acres could cost an additional $1 million dollars. Recommendations will be brought to the board and discussed in the coming meeting.

In other news, the airport is reported to be at 73% complete overall with 93% of the site development package completed.

The next board meeting is scheduled for October 7th

Frank Brown Park's Muddy Problem Could Be Everyone's Problem

Back in August, Bay County Sheriff’s Office put together an exciting and successful rodeo held on Frank Brown Park’s festive grounds. In order to have this event, an agreement was reached with the city manager to till a large space of grass to create enough dirt to handle the show and after the rodeo the area would be sprigged for grass to grow back. For the event, the dirt worked beautifully, and everything ran smooth. But, over a month after the event, grass has not grown over that perfect patch of dirt and what remains is a big, muddy problem for future events.

As it stands, the large space that was tilled prior to the event to make way for dirt is still, well, dirt. As you can imagine, with Thunder Beach on the way the area will not do well with bikes and if it rains the mud could complicate the whole event. Because the Fall Bike Rally typically isn’t as large as the Spring Rally, what’s likely to happen is the city can get away with roping off the area for the short weekend. But, the muddy problem becomes everyone’s problem when the Seafood Wine and Music Festival, Panama City Beach’s most prized event, comes to town. There simply is not enough time for grass to grow over the area before the event hits PCB. If the area isn’t sodded, like yesterday, well, you can just imagine how mud splashing over wingtips and heels could infuriate those wine drinkers and music lovers sending them home with all sorts of bad impressions of PCB.

As Panama City Beach aims to change it’s image as a backwoods, party, dirty town, a muddy field for a wine festival will definitely set everyone back. If you’ve yet to see the field, here are a few images.

God's Thunder @ Mr. Surf's: Free Bikers Event by Tribe of Judah

For those looking to get in on the Bike Rally fun, but want to avoid all the craziness, Mr. Surf’s Surf Shop will host the “TRIBE of JUDAH” Motorcycle Ministry Organization Bike Rally on Sept. 24-27. This event IS NOT affiliated with THUNDER BEACH. There will be NO SALE or promotion of any alcohol on premises. And, for the record, Tribe of Judah nor Mr. Surf’s condemns the THUNDER BEACH Party, only wants to provide an additional venue for bikers who have a heart for God &/or are interested to see what’s it’s all about.

There will be live bands, raffles, door prizes, bike washes and more. Best of all, it’s totally free. Live band list includes, “Old to New, Floating Moses, Liah, Sunshine and Thunder and more to be announced.

Mr. Surf himself, Tony Johnson says, “The event is open for folks who want to fellowship & just hang out in a good’ol fashion way and share the love and blessings of our Lord Jesus Christ, who for me and my life, is doing some awesome things! And, share that light with EVERYONE no matter who or what they are about that comes in to listen and learn about God’s Word through speakers & music.”

The event is located at Mr. Surfs on Thomas Drive. The party begins Friday 9/25, runs through Sunday 9/27 and it will be a blast. For more information visit www.mrsurfs.com

Q & A with Fahlgren, Panama City Beach's New Creative/Ad Team

Q. How long has Fahlgren been in business?

A. Fahlgren was established in 1962.

Q. How many offices do you have and where?

A. Fahlgren, Inc., is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, and has a total of seven other locations including Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Atlanta, Ga.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Dayton, Ohio; Toledo, Ohio; Parkersburg, W.V.; Denver, Col. Plus, our media partner, Real Media Solutions, is based in Tampa.

Q. What makes Fahlgren the ideal agency for PCB?

A. We believe Fahlgren is an ideal partner for PCB for many reasons as we outlined in the cover letter of our proposal:

– We have offices in key areas including Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, Atlanta and the Midwest (Ohio).

– We have the same consumer research tools and resources of the largest agencies, but we are independently owned and able to serve our clients nimbly and attentively.

– As an integrated marketing agency, we are experienced in all forms of media, and we understand how to build a synergistic overall program.

– Fahlgren has a dedicated tourism and leisure practice area focused on serving tourism clients and analyzing key trends.

– Having worked for many years as the agency of record for VISIT FLORIDA, our firm has extensive knowledge of Florida tourism.

– As a result of this experience, our media team has relationships and “buying clout” in key feeder markets.

– Our team also developed and managed the industry-standard of co-op programs with VISIT FLORIDA.

– We have received accolades from the Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist on our efforts promoting tourism in the Sunshine State.

– We have airline and launch event experience.

– We are established and strong in the areas PCB values most, including creative, media planning, and social media.

Q. What were you initial thoughts on Panama City Beach’s image?

A. We view Panama City Beach as a fun place for everyone. We have several staffers who’ve vacationed there with their families, have been there during spring break, and one associate who even had a destination wedding there this past spring.

Q. What are your preliminary plans to change PCB’s “party” perception?

A. We know a lot of research has already been done on this topic, and we look forward to better understanding all sides of the issue and working with the CVB and area partners to develop the right plan for the community.

Q. Is there any particular creative direction that you foresee going in right off the bat?

A. We’ve got more creative ideas at this point than we know what to do with, but we look forward to applying the right strategy to develop a marketing campaign that gets the results the CVB and its partners seek.

Q. Do you have any comments on the creative direction of Panama City Beach’s past?

A. We know an evolution of the creative direction has already begun, and we’re excited to add a new dimension that builds on that momentum.

Q. How will you use the new airport as a spring board for PCB’s future?

A. We know that the airport is a total game changer. It puts a national spotlight on PCB like never before. It opens up new possibilities for partnerships and promotions, and it allows us to truly compete for tourists from cities that weren’t a possibility before its existence.

Q. How do you plan to use your talent to boost Panama City Beach’s off-season tourism?

A. Overall, we strive to use our talents to develop striking creative and place it in traditional and nontraditional areas that we know are meaningful to our audiences. Our creative has to get noticed and it has to reach consumers at the right place at the right time to engage them to take action. We’ll be developing a year-round plan to boost tourism on and off season. Specifically, we’re looking at possibly tapping into our current client base to create some unique partnerships.

AGENDA: TDC/CVB: Spring Break Recommendations

The final decision on Spring Break rumblings will finally be unveiled. After several city-wide conversations, meetings and one huge community forum we will know what the direction for the future of Spring Break on Panama City Beach.

AGENDA

COMBINED BOARD MEETING
Bay County Tourist Development Council
Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau, Inc.
Panama City Beach
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
1:30 p.m.
Council Room, PCB City Hall

I. CALL MEETING TO ORDER

II. ROLL CALL

A. Invocation
B. Pledge of Allegiance
C. Approve Minutes From the August 11, 2009, September 10, 2009, and September 18, 2009 Meetings

III. REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ON AGENDA ITEMS (3 Minutes)

IV. UPDATE ON BED TAX COLLECTIONS, Ms. Charlene Honnen, Tourist Development Tax Specialist

V. BOARD ACTION ITEMS

A. Discuss and Consider for Approval CVB/TDC Financial Statements Dated July 31, 2009, Mr. Dan Rowe, President

B. Discuss and Consider for Approval Coastal Planning & Engineering Invoice #90827, Invoice #90828, Invoice #90834, Invoice #90829, Invoice #90830, Invoice #90919, Invoice #90920, Invoice #90921, and Invoice #90922, Mrs. Lisa Armbruster, Sustainable Beaches, LLC

C. Discuss and Consider for Approval Contract with Aquatic Plants of Florida for the Dune Vegetation and Sand Fencing Project, Mrs. Lisa Armbruster, Sustainable Beaches, LLC

D. Discuss and Consider for Approval Spring Break Recommendations, Mr. Dan Rowe, President

E. Discuss and Consider for Approval Request for Funding from City of Panama City Beach, Mr. Dan Rowe, President

F. Discuss and Consider for Approval FY 2009-2010 Mexico Beach Community Development Council Budget, Mr. Dan Rowe, President

G. Discuss and Consider for Approval FY 2009-2010 Panama City Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau Budget and Program of Work, Mr. Dan Rowe, President

VI. PRESIDENT’S REPORT

VII. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT

VIII. AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION

IX. ADJOURNMENT

To download the entire agenda please click here.

Name the New Panama City Airport – Submit Here

Submit your names to be included in tomorrow’s regularly schedule Airport Authority Board Meeting. The Airport Authority is considering new names and is asking for public input.

Up for debate for quite some time has been a new name for the new Panama City – Bay County International Airport, which is being relocated to an under construction site north of West Bay in Panama City Beach. The new airport has been under construction for over a year now and is set to open May 18, 2010.

We’ve had discussions here and many in the community have recognized that essential to the success of the new airport is a new name that has a regional (or greater) connotation. The potential of this airport can certainly capture a regional traveler. Shoot, if we’d drive over to Ft. Walton’s Northwest Florida Regional Airport to save a few hundred buckaroos, certainly our friends to the west (and east for that matter) would do the same.

In order for this airport to best serve our needs into the future, visitors that fly into Panama City need to fly into an airport that encompasses all of Northwest Florida. Talking to Mel Ponder from Coastal Vision 3000 – or THE Beach – not long ago, he was telling me that international travelers that fly into Orlando rarely stay in Orlando the whole time they are here. Furthermore, they rarely travel here for less than 14 days. International travelers will venture as far as up to 5 hours away from Orlando in their travels.

Our new airport will need to be a regional destination that will bring visitors within hours of some of the worlds most beautiful vacation spots from Apalachicola to Pensacola and beyond.

Submit your name suggestions below and email them to newpfn@gmail.com.

Here are some of the names that have been submitted on here in the past:

Northwest Florida International

Emerald Coast International

Gulf Coast International

Any others?

Huge Changes Ahead in the Marketing of Panama City Beach

Friday two contracts were presented and accepted by the tourist development council that will help transform the image of panama city beach in the coming years. Fahlgren and Lou Hammond were chosen for creative and PR respectively; contracts were already negotiated with the agencies prior to presentation to be board.

The Fahlgren contract is for $22,500 per month and includes all creative and promotions. The YPartnership contract was $12,500 per month but did not include creative. Last year alone they spent over $150k in creative and that number could have gone higher. Also, travel expenses for the agencies is built into the contracts as well.

Lou Hammond’s contract for public relations is for $17,500 per month and actually includes a New York media reception at their main office, 2 publicity stunts in New York and 2 group media trips to be hosted in destination (Panama City Beach).

Each contract is for 2 years with the option to renew and each will play a huge role in our area’s future growth.