Fort Walton Beach Resolution — 2025-10 Approving the Community Redevelopment Area Plan Update — reading text

Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan 35  2.2.3 Health & Wellness Neighborhood Key Features Defining The Health & Wellness Neighborhood is the second smallest sub area within the Health & Wellness the CRA and centers mostly around the County and State healthcare facilities. Neighborhood Along the Eglin Parkway corridor is prototypical highway commercial development; however, once within the district, there are several small Okaloosa County Council on former single family homes that have been repurposed to offices and boutique retail shops. In general, the area lacks bicycle and pedestrian Aging facilities, design standards, and streetscapes. The parking lots for the County Florida Department of Health facilities and the vacant lot along Buck Drive and Hospital Drive bleed into the FNBT Bank Shopping Center street, creating a sea of pavement and detracting from the overall streetscape. This area is prime for redevelopment as a transitional area due to the surrounding residential neighborhoods to the east and north and the potential for an intergovernmental partnership between the County and City Map 2 4). County and State Medical Facilities Enhanced Streetscapes Redevelopment Focus Areas Infill of Vacant Lots Connection to the Patriots Trail Figure 2 9: Okaloosa County Health Facility 36 Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan Map 2 4: Health & Wellness Neighborhood Map 2 4: Health & Wellness Neighborhood Figure 2 10: Existing child day care on Hospital Drive Figure 2 11: Florida Department of Health Facility Figure 2 12: Hospital Drive Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan 37  2.2.4 Uptown Industrial District Key Features Defining the The Uptown Industrial District represents the secondary location within the Uptown Industrial District city where heavy industrial activity takes place, the primary area being the Commerce and Technology Park to the west. The heavy industrial uses are Fort Walton Beach Police/ Fire concentrated to the west of Beal Parkway, and a conflicting smorgasbord of Departments commercial, industrial, residential, and civic/recreation make up the east United States Postal Service side. The northeast section is bounded by Jackson Street, Hughes Street, Jet Park Beal Parkway and Carson Drive and was found to be the most blighted in the Fort Walton Beach Concrete area, containing the most incompatible mix of land uses. Jet Park, which is situated along Jet Drive and Beal Parkway, is planned to be demolished and replaced with a new City Public Works field office and yard. Finally, the eastern edge of the district lacks a proper transition from the heavy industrial uses within the district to the heavily residential neighborhoods to the east and north (Map 2 5). Improving Streetscapes Industrial Warehouse Sites Redevelopment Focus Areas Enhanced Pedestrian Connectivity Comet Street Residential Neighborhood Figure 2 13: Existing industrial land use 38 Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan Map 2 5: Uptown Industrial District Figure 2 14: Existing storage lot Figure 2 15: Jet Stadium Figure 2 16: Existing industrial land use Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan 39  2.2.5 South Beal Parkway Corridor Key Features Defining the The smallest of the sub areas, the South Beal Parkway Corridor represents a South Beal Parkway Corridor transitional low intensity commercial strip between the West Waterfront area and the Uptown Commercial District. Currently, it is common to see First Presbyterian Church traffic use this area as a bypass to the Eglin Commercial Corridor, and it was Florida Department of the recent beneficiary of a larger Beal Parkway Corridor Management Plan Education— completed by the Okaloosa Walton TPO and West Florida Regional Planning Vocational Council. The most impactful of the proposed enhancements would be the CampusCONTEXT & Rehabilitation improvements to pedestrian safety such as repainting crosswalks, installing pedestrian level streetlights, installing a mid block crossing near Third Street, Troy University—Fort Walton and maintaining the vegetation at all intersections (Map 2 6). Beach Bicycle and Pedestrian Connectivity Beal Parkway Corridor Plan Redevelopment Focus Areas First Street Bikeway Crossing Repurpose Excess Parking Spaces Figure 2 17: Existing office land use 40 Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan Map 2 6: South Beal Parkway Corridor Figure 2 18: Existing commercial land use Figure 2 19: Existing commercial land use Figure 2 20: Existing commercial land use Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan 41  2.2.6 Midtown Neighborhood Key Features Defining the The Midtown Neighborhood is a mix of institutional and residential uses to Midtown Neighborhood the north of downtown and is situated in the center of the CRA. Along the southern edge (First Street) are two churches and the Okaloosa School First Baptist Church District offices,which create a natural transition from the busier Downtown Soundside Apartments commercial corridors into the residential neighborhood to the north. The Chester Pruit residential portion of Midtown is made up of single family homes, Recreation Center townhomes, and apartments, the most recent of which are the Soundside Westminster Manor DistrictCONTEXT & Apartments located along Carson Drive SE and Third Street SE. The area may benefit from a more contiguous bicycle and pedestrian system, as it is adjacent to both the Eglin Commercial Corridor and the Downtown Core. Future redevelopment in either of these areas would likely cause Midtown to become a vital residential neighborhood within walking distance of both Okaloosa County School commercial centers (Map 2 7). Carson Street Streetscaping Enhanced Pedestrian Connectivity Redevelopment Focus Areas Replacement of Aging Homes First Street Streetscaping Figure 2 21: Existing multi family 42 Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan Map 2 7: Midtown Neighborhood Figure 2 22: Existing single family Figure 2 23: Existing townhome Figure 2 24: First United Methodist Church Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan 43  2.2.7 West Waterfront Key Features Defining the Primarily along Miracle Strip Parkway SW/ US 98, the West Waterfront sub West Waterfront district contains a mix of uses such as commercial, industrial, civic/ institutional, residential, and recreational. The mostly underused and non Liza Jackson Park accessible waterfront is doted with marinas, aging hotels and apartment Fort Walton Beach City Hall complexes, and various office condominiums. Several large waterfront Presidio Yacht Club parcels remain vacant and provide an opportunity to develop along the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church waterfront. There are two parks within the area—Liza Jackson Park and ParkCONTEXT & Emerald Coast Marina and Sound Park—both of which have water access and recreation opportunities. On the north side of Miracle Strip Parkway SW/ US 98 are mostly residential Boat Yard uses such as car dealerships, hotels, and miscellaneous restaurants, which Sound form an environment centered around automotive traffic rather than pedestrians. The civic uses are located at the far west end and the eastern half and include the Holy Trinity Church and City of Fort Walton Beach City Hall, respectively (Map 2 8). Infill Development of Vacant Parcels Aging Developments along the Waterfront Redevelopment Focus Areas City Hall and Surrounding Athletic Fields Accessibility of the Waterfront Figure 2 25: Existing commercial and office 44 Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan Map 2 7: West Waterfront Map 2 8: West Waterfront Figure 2 26: Existing commercial ParkFigure 2 27: Miracle Strip Parkway/US 98 Figure 2 28: Liza Jackson Fort Walton Beach CRA Plan 45