Want to help breathe life into the Town Center CRA?

If you have ideas about how to breathe life into the Town Center Community Redevelopment Area, please plan on attending a public meeting June 19 at City Hall.

This meeting is open to residents that either own property or operate a business within the boundaries of the Town Center Mixed Use zoning district. 

The Town Center CRA is bounded on the north and east by Airport Road, on the south by U.S. 98, and on the west by Beach Drive, including the Downtown Destin and Shores Shopping Centers, as well as all property fronting Main Street between Harbor Blvd. and Airport Road.

Recently, the Community Redevelopment Agency spent millions of dollars to improve the public infrastructure and appearance of Main Street.

These improvements included:

·         The conversion from overhead to underground utilities.

·         A stormwater management system to reduce flooding on Legion Drive and in the Industrial Park.

·         Landscaped medians and right-of-ways.

·         New signage, including Town Center gateway signs.

·         Numerous pedestrian safety features including new ADA compliant sidewalks, streetlights, and intersection crosswalks with countdown signals.

·         Continuous four lanes on Airport Road from Main Street to Harbor Blvd.

·         Intersection improvements at Legion/Airport/Main, Harbor Blvd. and Main, and a new signalized intersection at the 98 Palms Shopping Center and the Post Office entrance.

These improvements were provided to help stimulate private investment and reinvestment along this commercial corridor.  Unfortunately, the real estate market collapse and a sour economy have worked against that reinvestment happening.

"The Town Center Advisory Committee members are seeking ideas and input from owners and stakeholders within the Town Center in an effort to cultivate development or redevelopment in the area," Development Manager Steve Schmidt said.

The Committee wants to hear your ideas about what can be done to stimulate the micro-economy within the Town Center. They would also like to know if you’d be interested in forming a business association or coalition to work collaboratively on getting more people to do business with businesses in the Town Center. 

Please plan to attend the Town Center CRA Advisory Committee meeting on Wednesday, June 19 at 5:30 p.m. at Destin City Hall, 4200 Indian Bayou Trail (Across the street from The Palms of Destin).

For more information, please contact Steven R. Schmidt at 837-4242 ext. 3102 or by email at sschmidt@cityofdestin.com