3 NEW Attractions Come to Miracle Strip in Pier Park

It all started with wanting to put a carousel in Pier Park.

Jenny and Teddy Meeks started their search a couple years ago wanting to erect a carousel in Pier Park. Their search led them far and wide, through ride brokers and agents leading them, eventually, to the perfect candidate. After numerous road trips, confusing emails and phone calls, they finally found the location of this perfect carousel they’d only seen in pictures. It was in storage right here, in Panama City Beach, at Miracle Strip Amusement Park.

This ride opened with tons of fanfare and excitement just a couple short years ago. Popularity grew quickly and their Facebook page’s fan number skyrocketed. They knew immediately that their next logical step was to resurrect more rides from this place of childhood memories.

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Grand Lagoon Bridge Update [PICS]

Having broken ground almost 17 months ago, the Grand Lagoon Bridge is getting closer to completion every day. The old bridge was a low restrictive thing offering a measly 10 foot clearance. The new bridge will almost double that with a towering 18 feet of clearance.

Here are 5 fantastic facts on the new bridge which should be complete just before summertime.

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New Fire Station on Panama City Beach [UPDATE]

The new fire station that’s being built on the West End of Panama City Beach is making progress. Construction is looking closer to completion and everything is really taking shape. It looks like they have a roof on the main part and are putting in the structure for the roof over the garage bays.

The new fire station is scheduled for completion by this summer.

The new 11,000 square foot station will have a full kitchen, 6 dorm rooms, a two bay garage, ample parking and a huge driveway that will be plenty large enough to wash the trucks when they aren’t being used. So far, they are under budget and ahead of schedule.

The CRA is NOT a Bust [REPORT]

Every since The News Herald ran an article stating that the CRA progress will slow due to the economic downturn, we’ve been fielding a seemingly endless stream of questions. Concerned residents, condo owners and vacationers are worried that the existing CRA construction would halt, leaving gaping holes in road-work progress and landmark eyesores all over east Panama City Beach. This article should offer some clarification along with a warm cup of good news.

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Sheltair FBO Breaks Ground at New Airport

Sheltair Aviation broke ground on their new facility on Friday at their new location at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport. The airport opened last May with General Aviation operating out of the new facility since mid summer.

Of the two FBO’s that were operating out of the old Panama City Airport, Sheltair is the only one that was able to successfully negotiate new terms for operation at the new facility. The airport just cut ties with H4C, taking back possession of their land in a $6 million eminent domain deal.

The new Sheltair facility at the new Panama City airport will consist of a 5,000 square foot terminal and a 9,000 square foot hangar. Officials estimate that the new FBO facility will have a $5 million impact on the area.

Proposed RV Park NIXED

I haven’t seen as lively a topic as this since spring break discussions of years past. At this week’s planning board meeting, it was stated that it had been years since they had a turnout like that, with the chairman of the board saying, “I hope your church has this good of an attendance on Sunday.” I’m no expert on crowd estimations, but I’d say there was at least two hundred people in attendance. The board room at the City building in Panama City Beach was packed full with standing persons lining the walls and wannabe attendees clamoring for a listen in the foyer.

I’ll get right to the point: the RV park will not be developed on this property, not now, and probably not ever. After heavy opposition from the surrounding community, the developer withdrew their application to change their Planned Unit Development stating that at this point, they had no idea what they were going to do with the property.

Here is what happened.

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Old La Borgata is New Proposed RV Park in West Panama City Beach

Do you remember La Borgata, a luxury development resort community that was to be developed on the west end of Panama City Beach? A few years ago, amid real estate horror stories and a sinking market, Ronnie Gilley Properties cleared the land, installed the infrastructure and bought the support of country music star, Alan Jackson to develop this luxury community across the street of Wild Heron. This development was to consist of just under 200 luxury town homes and condominiums from 850 to 3,000 square feet, retail shops, salt water pools, heated spas and plenty of other resort fluff.

Well, plans have changed.

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New 3,000 Acre Nature Park Under Construction

Under construction right now is a 3,000 acre nature park on the west end of Panama City Beach. Owned by the city of Panama City Beach, this new park will feature over 20 miles of nature trails with around a mile of it being elevated 6 foot wide boardwalk.

The location of the park is just north of the St. Joe Commerce Park on Griffin Blvd, about a mile west of Highway 79 on Panama City Beach Parkway (Back Beach Road).

The 3,000 acre property was purchased as a nature preserve and to serve as a discharge for treated waste water. There will be a number of retention ponds and wetlands that will be surrounded by nature trails.

In addition to tons of nature trails and beautiful nature, there will be an amenity building that will have public restrooms.

The park is expected to be completed in April of 2011, look for more information soon, including a video tour, when we can get better access to the property.

New Fire Station Being Built on Panama City Beach

West of Highway 79 in Panama City Beach, a new Bay County Fire Station is being built. This new facility will house 6 full time firefighters, and have the capacity to hold a ladder truck, three fire vehicles, a tanker and a rescue truck.

The land that the new fire station is being build on is a 2.5 acre tract that was purchased from St. Joe last year.

Construction started in August, and the new station is set to be complete by summer of 2011. Construction is by DooleyMack Constructors out of Panama City Beach – thanks for the info, Trey.

New Dollar General on Thomas Drive

Some of you might have noticed the excavating and construction going on at Thomas Drive and Luff Street. We took it upon ourselves to find out for you.

It is going to be a new Dollar General! It is being developed by Concept Construction and Development, and is the newest Dollar General in Panama City Beach. Concept Construction and Development has also built the Dollar General on 15th Street, 22nd Street and the one in Lynn Haven on Highway 390.

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