'Disneyland for adults': HarborWalk 'coming together' as it turns one (PHOTOS)

Thirteen months after retailers and restaurants started opening in HarborWalk Village, executives from developer Legendary Inc. are beaming like proud parents.

They are quick to say the $250 million mixed-use project is celebrating more of a first birthday than a first anniversary.

"With 15 acres, this is a tight site, and we’ve had to deliver it in phases," said R. Bryan Deane, Legendary’s vice president for commercial properties. "It’s all finally coming together."

"Disneyland for adults," quipped Gene Lorette, Legendary’s man in charge of commercial properties.

In the shadow of Emerald Grande’s twin 14-story condominium towers, there is constant activity. There are plenty of choices for tourists and local alike: Ten boats or water-sports locations. Ten places to eat and drink everything from bagels to top-shelf entrees. And 15 shops you won’t find in too many malls anywhere.

"The vision has come true out there," said Shane Moody, CEO of the Destin Area Chamber of Commerce. "Now people realize what can be down on the harbor, or at least the visitors and the residents have. What we’ve got to do is get to the other property owners and have them realize what an impact this can have on Destin Harbor. … It’s got exactly what Destin needs to be as long as you’ve protected the charter fleet.

Legendary CEO Peter Bos loves to tell the story of the first time he saw the eastern side of the Destin Pass, and how long it took him to start developing it.

Destin Mayor Craig Barker is among those who opposed the Emerald Grande towers. Some locals still have some sort of wry comment about something that size being built in what they once prized as a sleepy fishing village all their own.

"I was very much in opposition to this project because the mass height and scale are not consistent with my vision for Destin," Barker said. "Nevertheless, it’s undeniable that it is generating energy and excitement along Destin’s harbor-front. Creating that energy and excitement along the Destin Harbor is the fundamental premise behind the city’s harbor revitalization efforts, and HarborWalk Village has definitely furthered the cause of putting residents and locals in close proximity with the water."

Some visitors on Friday came from as far away as St. Louis. Josh and Kristen Koehnemann had 18-month-old daughter Austin in tow, with grandparents Doug and Carol Steinmeyer as part of their group.

"We love it," Kristen Koehnemann said. "We’ve been here before. Today we were coming back from Panama City and we stopped here because we like the ambience so much."

HarborWalk Village features 100,000 square feet of retail space, according to Deane. And 87 percent of that is leased, at an average cost of $36 per square foot. Six small shop spaces remain, and Deane has a signed letter of intent for one of those.

Things are going so well, Deane said, that Bos is able to let Alaqua Animal Refuge have 1,023 feet of free space so they can arrange adoptions for rescued animals. Evidence of success comes from Kitty Hawk Kites expanding and the local owner of Del Sol opening another unrelated shop known as Harbor Hounds.

"I grew up in New Orleans and I know that people from Louisiana have been coming to Destin for a long time," Deane said. "For a long time we thought of this as our special place before folks from Atlanta discovered it. I’d like to think HarborWalk Village has some of my New Orleans thumbprint on it."

That would include Commander’s Palace, Pat O’Brien’s, the Camellia Grill, Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris and Hov

"And overall, were very selective," Deane said. "We don't just take anybody."

Shop owners who had to struggle through last winter are beaming these days.

Every weekends been better than the last this summer, said Stephanie Jenkins, assistant manager at Jester Mardi Gras Daiquiris. And with the public docks, people with boats can stop by so they can pick up a couple of pizzas and a gallon of daiquiris.

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For more photos from HarborWalk, click here.

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Known as a man who does things on a large scale, Bos has made holiday events at HarborWalk no exception. New Years Eve, Halloween and the Fourth of July are examples. On Thursdays during the summer, there is a salute to the military that features music, entertainment, a flyover of vintage warplanes and fireworks.

Bos shows up on a regular basis.

Ashleigh Lyons, owner of Emerald Coast Coffee and Grille at HarborWalk, said Bos has intervened on her behalf to have charter boat captains buy food and beverages from her on a daily basis.

"We did great on July 4th, but we found out that New Years Eve was actually a little better," Lyons said. "This year, New Years Eve will be off the hilt."

As for the residential aspects of Emerald Grande, selling and leasing the condos will eventually make or break this project.

Bruce Craul, Legendarys vice president of operations and acting general manager of Emerald Grande, says the reality is somewhat stronger than what you might hear on the street.

There are 124 units in the West Tower and 103 of them are sold, Craul said. In the East Tower of 103 units, 15 are sold and 66 have renters who engage in fractionals. That means they lease by various increments.

"The full service we can provide with the spa, the health club and the staff absolutely eliminates competition," Craul said.

He pointed out that two adult couples could rent a condo with two full bathrooms and bedrooms for $199 a night.

"We're 49 percent ahead of last June in revenue," Craul said. "People are just starting to find out what Emerald Grand is really all about. In the current economy we've seen some tightening up, which you can see in our average length of stay at 4.2 nights and the booking window of seven to 10 days. But for July 4th we could have sold the whole place twice."

Despite all the progress, Craul will admit that the season on the Emerald Coast is still only about 100 days long. He and Deane and Lorette all would like to extend the season.

"The shoulder seasons are for people without children," Craul said, "but what's really neat about HarborWalk Village and Emerald Grande is we have so much that is designed for shoulder seasons."