The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved allocating $1 million in Tourist Development Tax funds to renovate Liza Jackson Park in Fort Walton Beach during their Tuesday meeting.
- The funds will provide a 50/50 match to the city’s expenditures for a comprehensive overhaul of the park’s boat launch area and facilities.
“The boat ramp over at Liza Jackson [Park] is really a nightmare right now,” said Commissioner Trey Goodwin, who has championed the project. “This project will help alleviate that and provide an alternative. Frankly, it’s just a lot safer compared to what’s out there right now.”
The renovation plans include extending the launch lanes, adding dock extensions, and expanding the boat trailer parking capacity. The project will also add a new playground area, restroom facility, and pavilions.
Jeff Peters, who was appointed as Okaloosa County Parks & Facilities Director in January after previously serving as Fort Walton Beach City Manager, explained that the project originated several years ago.
- “It was brought forward when I was with Fort Walton Beach a few years ago to develop a master plan for redoing the boat ramp operation there,” Peters said. “Commissioner Goodwin, myself and Travis Smith, one of the city council members in Fort Walton Beach, worked on this with Jason Floyd.”
The Liza Jackson improvements will hopefully complement the county’s recent acquisition of the adjacent former Red Lobster property. In April, commissioners voted unanimously to purchase the waterfront property at 326 Miracle Strip Parkway for $3.5 million.
The 1.84-acre site includes 150 feet of water frontage, an 8,469-square-foot building, and over 100 parking spaces. The acquisition was funded entirely through tourism development taxes.
The Red Lobster property could potentially house a land-based museum for the SS United States, which is planned to become the world’s largest artificial reef off the Destin-Fort Walton Beach coast. Tourism Director Jennifer Adams confirmed that representatives from the SS United States Conservancy toured the grounds last month but nothing has been decided yet.
- “At the very least, we could use the space when the SSUS is deployed, but there’s been no further talk about reconstructing the whole area,” Adams said. “We did walk the entire campus with them so hopefully that could be a place for a pop-up celebration museum as we’re moving forward.”
According to Peters, the $2.5 million Liza Jackson renovation will include 66 boat trailer parking spaces and additional regular parking. The design plans are complete and ready to go out for bid, with construction expected to begin after Labor Day to avoid disrupting the summer tourism season.
The project will be funded through multiple sources: $750,000 from the half-cent surtax, $750,000 from Community Redevelopment Agency funds, and the $1 million tourism tax partnership with Okaloosa County. The county will reimburse actual expenses up to $1 million on a reimbursable basis after project completion.
- The Commission included a request that signage at the renovated park recognize the partnership between the city and county.
Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel expressed concern about potential state legislation affecting tourism development funds, stating, “If they do some of the things they’re talking about with tourism development funds, all of this goes away.”
