Trio of new developments in the works in Destin

Three new shopping centers that started to go up in Destin earlier this year are at or nearing completion.

The 98 Palms Boulevard shopping center is located on 98 Palms Boulevard off of Main Street and close to the Winn Dixie shopping center. The two buildings on the property each have eight 2,000-square foot units.  

Brett Stuart, a commercial realtor with REI who is in charge of leasing the buildings, said that entertainment and retail shops will fill the units.

“We’re fully leased in one of the two buildings, and spaces should be open and available to the public in the first quarter of 2017,” he said.

At 34761 Emerald Coast Boulevard, next to Kelly Plantation Drive, a three-unit, 12,000-square foot building is under construction. Harry Bell, a broker with Pen Fed Realty, said that a Sleep Number store, a Sprint store and a Half Shell Oyster House restaurant will go in those units.

According to its website, the Half Shell Oyster House is a small seafood chain with restaurants in Mississippi, Alabama and south Florida.

“The charbroiled oysters are legendary and the atmosphere will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time,” according to its website.

A little farther east on U.S. Highway 98, next to Miller’s Ale House and the future Funky Blues Shack and Graffiti restaurant, a third shopping center is almost complete. The two-unit shopping center features a Mattress Firm store that already opened and a Jimmy John’s sandwich shop that will open on Nov. 22.

This will be the second Jimmy John’s location in Destin. The first is located in front of Winn Dixie. There is one Jimmy John’s in Sandestin and three in Fort Walton Beach.

“(We’re excited) so we can deliver to all of those people that have been wanting deliveries from Kelly Plantation and Crystal Beach,” said Andrew Shutts, the general manager of the first Jimmy John’s location. “Plus, it’s more jobs for people.”

Shutts said he expects the new location to hire between 15 and 20 people.