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Kurt

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Oct 15, 2004
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mooncreek.com
http://defuniakherald.com/?p=4073

By DOTTY NIST

South Walton Tourist Development Council (TDC) Executive Director Dawn Moliterno provided a report on Sept. 13 to county commissioners on plans for a new site for the TDC office and on other tourism-related matters.

The information was provided at the Sept. 13 Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) regular meeting at the South Walton Courthouse Annex.

Moliterno told the commissioners that the 2011 tourist season had been the best on record for Walton County and that all the TDC’s strategic plan objectives for the 2010-11 fiscal year had been accomplished.

A building analysis focusing on space needs for the organization had resulted in a decision by the TDC members to pursue a site on the south side of the U.S. 331/U.S. 98 intersection, on Florida Forest Service property, for a new TDC visitor information/welcome center and new TDC offices. With authorization by the BCC, Moliterno had submitted a request to the forest service for acquisition of the site.

Moliterno said a six-month process would be required for the acquisition and that public hearings would be part of that process. Construction costs for the new building were reported as $4.5 million exclusive of land acquisition expenses. Moliterno said the funds would come from the TDC’s reserve account, which currently contains $10 million and will soon be increased by $1.5 million from BP. The cost estimate does not include expenditures to return the current building site, which is under lease from the forest service, to its predevelopment condition per lease requirements.

Moliterno also reported that TDC members had decided against pursuing a south Walton County sports complex after reviewing a feasibility study on the possibility. Construction cost for the facility had been estimated at $13.5 million for an outdoor facility, with insufficient demand deemed to exist at this time for an indoor component. An annual subsidy of $378,000 to $431,000 per year was determined to be required for the facility on the part of the TDC, Moliterno explained.

Moliterno added that all the TDC’s blue signs, including the ones around the visitor center and offices would be coming down to be repainted in “that beautiful bronze color that everyone likes.” This is the color that was recently used for repainting of the TDC’s wayfinding signs along CR-30A. The new “South Walton” cursive-letter logo will also replace the previous “Beaches of South Walton” logo and red and white umbrellas on the signs.

FLOOR-PLAN-9-2-2011.jpg

Master-Site-Plan---09-2-2011.jpg
 
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whatiscmr

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Jun 23, 2011
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The information in this write up, about the analysis, is vague at best. I can't tell from this if a new building is necessary. Hopefully someone posts some details.
 

Kurt

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The claim is that a new location is necessary because the current visitor's center got "landlocked" when the highway was 4-laned. In other words there is no turn lane unless you do a left turn at the light then a U-turn, or if you are headed out of town. Also they are running out of office space.
 
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scooterbug44

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May 8, 2007
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I think a visitor center that can actually be "visited" by those entering town is a great idea. :roll:

Question this location and the cost - IMO the best spot would be south of the bridge on the west side of 331 near the annex.

Why do we need to use forest when there are vacant commercial lots lining 331?
 
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Kurt

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I think a visitor center that can actually be "visited" by those entering town is a great idea. :roll:

Question this location and the cost - IMO the best spot would be south of the bridge on the west side of 331 near the annex.


Why do we need to use forest when there are vacant commercial lots lining 331?
The idea is to have an area for folks to stop and stretch, walk a nature trail, walk the dog, learn about local flora and fauna, see live alligators, etc. Keep in mind that many people coming into town have to kill time before their rental is available. This site would allow have access just as easy as the west side of 331 and easy egress in either direction.

Just kidding about the live alligators but it was joked that would really bring folks in if you had them and/or a water park on site.

Apparently, the forest would be cleared somewhere anyhow for a forest service facility. Instead they will get office space in the visitors' center,giving an opportunity to teach visitors about our forest resources, management and protection.
 
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whatiscmr

Beach Lover
Jun 23, 2011
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I see. That intersection is a pain in the butox. The way you describe the new place sounds nice. There really isn't any thing else around here like that. Kind of a rest stop/nature area. Cool
 

scooterbug44

SoWal Expert
May 8, 2007
16,732
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Sowal
I definitely think we are long overdue for a nice welcome center/rest area, but IMO there are a couple kinks to get worked out in this plan.

I think the photo area, the dog area, restrooms, and the picnic area are great things to have and will get used a lot.

But paving 5 acres of the state forest for a facility that is going to have many of the same activities and functions that we already have and that are not being fully utilized or that are being closed due to funding cuts seems crazy. A couple offices for the Forest Service would not need 5 acres so I don't find it an even trade.

Also don't see why we couldn't have all the offices/administration on the 2nd floor to reduce the size of the building's footprint.

Supporting, improving, promoting, and maintaining the existing facilities would be far better than building more redundant ones.
 

Kurt

Admin
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Oct 15, 2004
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mooncreek.com
I'm sure the designs will lean toward a southern-style architecture but wouldn't it be cool to also be modern, green, and high tech? Maybe our proposed new solar energy factory can supply some low-cost panels.


cooperpoint-ed01.jpg


135534d1238294806-greenist-building-san-francisco-grass-roof-green.jpg


marina-barrage-building.jpg


green-roof.jpg
 
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