Okaloosa Gas District opened the doors to its new headquarters Wednesday, revealing a 160,000-square-foot campus designed to bring together more than 200 employees under one roof for the first time in the utility’s 70-year history.
- The facility, now known simply as “The District,” hosted a dedication ceremony at 10 a.m. on Jan. 14, followed by tours showcasing a building that CEO Gordon King described as more than just office space – it’s a home built for the people who serve 2,400 square miles of Northwest Florida.
“Our people, our employees deserve better than what we’ve been able to provide for them,” King said. “We’ve built a building that’s solid, strong, and it’s going to be here for a long time. We have a responsibility to our customers to make sure we’re there to provide service to them 24 hours a day, year round, and this facility will enable us to do that.”
From hodgepodge to headquarters
The campus sits on 13.5 acres at the entrance to Valparaiso on Government Avenue and Valparaiso Parkway, replacing a hodgepodge of buildings – some dating to 1953 – that had outlived their usefulness. The oldest structure had its roof replaced four times due to hurricane damage.
The consolidation addresses a fundamental problem that hampered operations for years. Departments worked in isolation, preventing the kind of collaboration essential for efficient service delivery.
- “Our marketing department is isolated, our operations people are isolated, our engineering people can’t communicate with our service people – that will all come together,” King explained. “The communication aspect of things and our employees deserve that.”
The building blends industrial aesthetics with modern workplace design, featuring exposed ductwork and wiring throughout, a design choice inspired by the architect’s own Atlanta office, which uses the same approach.
A grand stairway connects the second through fourth floors, creating what King calls a “social cafe” where employees from different departments can interact naturally. Each floor features its own gathering space with tables, chairs and kitchenettes, encouraging spontaneous collaboration.
- “The whole building is set up where you can grab your laptop and go work anywhere in the building you want to work,” King said.
Designed with intention
Conference rooms throughout the facility bear the names of cities the district serves – a nod to the communities that have supported the utility for decades. The boardroom honors the late Charles “Bull” Rigdon Jr., who served on the board for 30 years and championed the district through various roles in county and municipal government.
Private wellness rooms accommodate nursing mothers and anyone needing quiet space. Soundproof focus rooms allow employees to take personal calls away from open work areas. Outdoor courtyards feature natural gas fire pits and built-in grill access, creating spaces where all 200-plus employees and their families could gather comfortably.
- “This building is built for our employees. It’s not built for me,” King said. “It’s built for whoever’s coming up next. It’s a place that our people can be proud of.”
The four-story administrative building makes up roughly 90,000 square feet of district space, with approximately 60,000 square feet designated for tenants. Three wings will house various businesses, from medical offices to architects to defense contractors – turning the campus into a true mixed-use development.
The name “The District” emerged from practical considerations. Prospective tenants didn’t want to direct clients to “Okaloosa Gas” for their own businesses, prompting staff to brainstorm alternatives that would work for the entire campus. The board of directors approved the straightforward name that acknowledges both the utility’s identity and the building’s role as a mixed-use community hub.
Operations elevated
The operations building represents perhaps the most dramatic upgrade for field employees who previously worked from the aging 1953 structure. The new facility houses installation, service and construction crews alongside their supervisors, creating coordination opportunities never before possible.
- “They’ve never had anything like that,” King said of the operations staff. “It’s a home for them that they can be proud of.”
A state-of-the-art training facility within the operations building allows crews to practice on simulated gas pipelines and equipment, combining classroom instruction with hands-on learning. The space can accommodate outside companies for training as well, provided schedules align.
The campus also includes a meter shop for calibration, refurbishing and building meter bars—bringing that function back from Freeport where it operated somewhat separately from main operations.
Additional structures include an 18,400-square-foot operations center, 7,200-square-foot vehicle maintenance building and 23,540-square-foot warehouse. Covered loading areas protect service trucks from weather while crews load materials.
The multipurpose room seats more than 300 people at 10-seat tables, with potential for 400 in theater-style seating. Several outside organizations have already inquired about hosting events there. A commercial-grade kitchen features equipment that drew audible gasps from professional caterers who toured the space, though the district is still determining how best to utilize it for employees while potentially offering catering services for events.
Customer service enhancements include both walk-up teller windows and drive-through payment options on the first floor, along with an appliance showroom. Gas control and IT departments occupy the first floor for easy access by staff and contractors.
Engineering and marketing teams share the second floor – a deliberate choice that puts designers next to the people selling and installing systems. The third floor houses accounting, human resources and the customer relationship management center, placing billing staff steps away from bookkeeping. Executive offices occupy the fourth floor.
Built to withstand
Natural light floods the building through extensive glazing—roughly 80% of the exterior is glass. But the windows do more than illuminate. They’re engineered to withstand 175mph hurricane winds, with some triple-laminated for sound attenuation that makes nearby F-35 flyovers nearly imperceptible inside.
- The Federal Aviation Administration reviewed and approved the project given its proximity to Eglin Air Force Base’s flight line. Crane operators during construction became friendly with military pilots who would wave their wings as they flew past the towering equipment.
Energy efficiency drives much of the facility’s functionality. Combined heat and power systems generate electricity while using waste heat for climate control. Natural gas-fired chillers, tankless water heaters and a 750-kilowatt backup generator allow the entire campus to operate independently from the electrical grid.
“This campus has the ability to run 100% off the grid,” King said.
That independence matters during hurricanes and emergencies. The Class A building includes facilities to house crews, feed them through the commercial kitchen, provide showers in the fitness room, and even accommodate mutual aid workers from other utilities.
- “All of the facilities are built for the District to utilize should we have a hurricane and we need to take care of our people or bring assistance in from the outside,” King said. “But at the same time, we certainly will allow the community to come in and use those as well.”
Community embrace
Community reception exceeded expectations as the structure rose beside Highway 85. Initial curiosity from neighbors transformed into enthusiasm as the scale and quality of construction became apparent.
“People who drive by, see it, are excited about the new facility coming into Valparaiso,” King said. “The community is welcoming, even though we’ve always been part of it.”
The board of directors insisted on remaining in Valparaiso despite considering sites elsewhere, honoring the community that has hosted the utility company since its founding. The central location on the southern portion of the service territory also makes operational sense, particularly since roughly 70% of employees live north of the Shoal River.
Staff began moving in over the past week, phasing departments as furniture installation progressed.
The excitement was palpable during Wednesday’s event, with approximately 100 attendees including contractors, board members and community leaders. Niceville High School’s JROTC raised the flag. A bronze plaque honoring contributors will be mounted prominently.
The project originated from a 2020 engineering study revealing the existing buildings no longer met health and safety codes. The district’s workforce had doubled over 24 years, creating severe space constraints. Initial plans targeted the old campus property, but financial analysis showed too much investment would go into parking structures rather than functional space, leading to the current site selection.
General contractor Robins & Morton and architect DAG Architects completed the project in approximately two years. Weather proved cooperative aside from occasional cold snaps and heavy rain.
Looking ahead
“The uniqueness of what we have here now is, this building’s built out for Okaloosa Gas,” King said, noting the rental space will help fund the district’s future while providing valuable Class A office space near Eglin’s east gate.
King acknowledged the journey ahead as employees adapt to their new environment. “We’re already beginning to realize the efficiencies that it’s bringing us,” he said. “We’re gaining time.”
The building represents the second major facilities investment in district history. Leadership built the current main office in 1981, replacing the original 1953 headquarters.
“If you go back and look at the past leadership, they decided they needed a new building,” King reflected. “It was a major project improvement then, and 40 years later, here we are doing the same thing again.”
- The facility’s solid brick and concrete construction aims to last even longer. “It’s not sticks and paper. It’s brick. It’s solid. It will withstand the test of time,” King said.
For employees who spent years hearing promises of a new facility, seeing the finished product validated their patience. “We’ve talked about this new facility for years,” King said. “Today it’s a reality.”
As tours concluded Wednesday, the energy among staff suggested the investment had already paid dividends in morale. “Everything not only was set up and thought through from an efficiency standpoint, but it’s all been intentional,” King said. “It’s a place of work, but it’s nice. We want our employees to be comfortable and feel at home.”
One Response
Beautiful building and functional. What was the cost and will it cause a rate hike? Nice to have large value enterprises in Okaloosa County like EFCU and the Okaloosa County Gas District that can finance great construction like this. I wonder if Shalimar would be an attractive site for such a building that could serve the needs of Eglin Contractors and Defense/Engineering Support firms.