Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet approved the purchase of approximately 4 acres of Destin waterfront property for $84.5 million, converting land zoned for luxury condominiums into public parkland.
- The acquisition, part of a larger conservation package, passed with support from DeSantis and the Cabinet during their Tuesday morning meeting in Tallahassee.
Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia was the lone member to express opposition to the Okaloosa County purchase, though he ultimately voted to approve the bundled agenda item that included multiple land acquisitions across Florida.
“I would be yes for all of them except for 4F,” Ingoglia said, referring to the Okaloosa County acquisition, before DeSantis noted the items were bundled together.
- “We’ll take that as a yes, and your objection is noted on that one,” DeSantis responded.
The state will acquire the property from Pointe Mezzanine, LLC and Pointe Resort, LLC under an option agreement that values the land at about $20.8 million per acre. The purchase price matches an appraisal completed in March by a state-approved appraiser.
The property sits adjacent to the Gulf Islands National Seashore and shares its western boundary with the City of Destin’s Norriego Point Beach Access and Park. The sellers originally planned to develop 80 luxury condos on the site after purchasing it in 2016 and 2017 for $7.9 million.
- Developers had already completed significant infrastructure improvements including a marina, sea wall, road and parking construction, and utility connections that will now serve public use.
Okaloosa County has pledged more than $5 million in direct investment and will manage the new park in collaboration with the adjacent City of Destin facility. The combined park area will expand to nearly 16 acres and would offer over 100 parking spaces and recreational opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming.
“If the State buys this property, it means that the public will always have access to it, and I think that’s a beautiful thing,” Commissioner Drew Palmer said prior to the vote.
Sen. Jay Trumbull, who helped craft the legislation authorizing the purchase, emphasized the rarity of coastal acquisition opportunities. “We’re not making beachfront property anymore, especially parcels that are as well positioned as this one,” Trumbull said.
The sellers have 120 days after approval to complete the transaction.
