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News & Happenings Along The Gulf Coast

ALABAMA
IN THE REGION
Baldwin County Attracting New Business
Baldwin County has been named as 2008’s second most successful non-metro area at growing and attracting business by Site Selection magazine. The annual list ranks 600 areas with more than 50,000 people. In compiling its rankings, the magazine considered projects in which companies invest at least $1 million, build a structure of at least 20,000 square feet or hire at least 50 people, according to a local news report. The county reported that it landed projects promising $38 million in investment and 342 jobs in 2008, including an expansion of CRC Manufacturing Inc., a Robertsdale company that makes specialized hydraulic cylinders; an expansion of Gulf Packaging Inc. in Bay Minette; and the establishment of a new Spanish Fort location for metals reseller Kelco Metals Inc.

Free Assistance For Struggling Homeowners
Realtors are regular people, too. That’s what Realtor Deborah Benton found out when she lost her home. She has now undertaken a personal quest to assist others in similar situations on the Alabama Gulf Coast by offering resources to assist struggling homeowners facing foreclosure and tough economic times. Some of those resources are her websites, www.RealEstateAgentsArePeople2.com and the recently launched www.HomeownersCrisis.com, and a local seminar she recently hosted for homeowners in Foley, Ala. The free event featured lawyers, accountants and local businesses. Benton told a local newspaper that while sharing information on her initial website and organizing the meeting, she found that problems went beyond jobs and real estate, and that people needed assistance with issues ranging from mental health counseling to medical insurance for children. She hopes to expand the websites to assist people from outside the Mobile/Baldwin counties area. Currently, HomeownersCrisis.com features information about local jobs, distress sales for homes and other sources of assistance.

Annual Powerboat Races Canceled The Gulf Coast Powerboat Association (GCPA) announced that its seventh annual Thunder on the Gulf has been canceled due to the current economic environment. Originally scheduled for Aug. 13-16, in Orange Beach, these powerboat races have become a late-summer tradition for many families. “This cancellation is disappointing news to our board members, race fans and local charities that benefited from funds generated by Thunder on the Gulf,” said John Brunick, GCPA president. “This decision by our board of directors was extremely difficult, but we believe it was the best decision under the circumstances.” Last year, the GCPA partnered with the Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission and its parent organization, the Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), to produce a successful event. Generating more traffic for Pleasure Island businesses, these powerboat races produced 12,132 additional room nights for local accommodations, which resulted in almost $1.8 million in total lodging revenue. At the end of the weekends, race fans left behind about $4.2 million in total island spending. “We understand and support the difficult decision of the GCPA,” said Herb Malone, president/CEO of the CVB. “The Alabama Gulf Coast Sports Commission joins with the GCPA to thank our loyal race fans who have supported this annual event, and we look forward to inviting them back for a bigger and better Thunder on the Gulf in 2010.” For information about 2010 Thunder on the Gulf races, as it becomes available, log on to www.thunderonthegulf.com.

Winter Tourism Up On Alabama Gulf Coast
As blizzards and ice storms ravaged the North and Midwest, residents sought refuge on Alabama’s Coast. According to recent data, winter visitors flocked in numbers comparable to—and in some cases exceeding—last year’s numbers. “We are up 51 percent over last year in winter guest revenue,” said Stan Szapiel, general manager of the Caribe Resort. “After hosting the 2006 Winter Expo, we saw a triple digit increase for winter 2007, and our property has now topped that record-breaking growth with a tremendous jump for 2008.”

Other lodging properties are also seeing positive numbers that point to a larger trend. “Our winter guest arrivals are larger for February than for January, which is a trend we’ve seen emerging for the past three years,” said Sarah Kuzma, corporate relations director for Meyer Real Estate. “The occupancy rate is approximately 40 percent, which is comparable to the winter season in 2008.”

Amy Mutual, marketing director for Kaiser Real Estate, reported that winter business was holding steady. “We’ve seen a much smaller impact from the economic uncertainty than we expected, and we have adjusted our projections accordingly,” she said. “We have noticed a decrease in business from Michigan and Illinois. This loss, however, has been offset by a substantial increase in activity from Minnesota and Missouri.”

ORANGE BEACH
Phoenix West II Completion Delayed
Brett-Robinson’s 358-unit Phoenix West II development has been delayed by 18 months due to weather and slow sales, according to a local news report. The 31-story development marketed as the state’s largest condominium building was scheduled to open in July, but is now slated for a January 2011 debut. Part of the reason for the delay, developers said, is due to Hurricane Katrina, which destroyed the facility in Pass Christian, Miss., that was manufacturing the 75-foot long pilings needed for the development. Brett-Robinson is offering rebates of $90,000 for cash buyers and $65,000 for buyers making payments, as well as the option to choose $10,000 worth of upgrades such as granite countertops or upscale cabinets.

FLORIDA
IN THE REGION
Walton Judge Rules Against Developers/Commissioners
A circuit judge has ruled that Walton County commissioners should not have approved the Nature Walk Beach Club development because the land was zoned for residential purposes. The development was initially approved by the commissioners in 2007 as an extension of Nature Walk at Seagrove that would involve tearing down Seagrove Villas, two miles from the subdivision, and replacing them with 18 condominiums, a restaurant, underground parking and a private beach club for homeowners. In May 2007, residents claiming the 155-acre development would be too large and would cause over-crowding at the beach sued the county and Seagrove at the Beach LLC, which owns the property.

Coastal Construction Line Could Be Moved
The first public hearing was held in March regarding the proposed movement of the Coastal Construction Control Line (CCCL) for Walton County. The beaches in Walton County are receding, according to Gene Chelecki, P.E. administrator with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, who said that in some areas of the county the dune system eroded up to 30 feet. Throughout the state the CCCL is being reestablished, affecting property along the beaches, as well as marine habitats. The reestablishment of the CCCL in Walton County will affect 96 properties, according to local news reports. In 1981, the first study was done for what is now the CCCL and a second study was completed in 2008. The adoption of the reestablishment of the CCCL is expected in 2009.

Bay County TDC Increases Bed Tax—Again
The Bay County Tourist Development Council (TDC) has won a second increase to local bed tax, raising it to 5 cents. A 1 cent increase from 3 cents to 4 cents was approved by the Bay County Commission in January. The TDC said the additional money would be used to bring in a low- cost airline to the local international airport being built. TDC President Dan Rowe told a local news channel that limiting collection of the fifth cent to five years was the difference in getting the vote passed. “…We’re doing it for a limited amount of time for a limited purpose. We’re really targeting those funds to help generate real results, real tangible results that everyone will be able to see.” The extra cent could generate nearly $1.1 million a year for a marketing campaign for the new airport, according to the same news report.

FWC Changes Red Snapper Season
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a rule in February that changes the recreational harvest season for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico state waters. This action means that Florida’s gulf red snapper recreational harvest season will match the currently established season in gulf federal waters. The sport harvest season for red snapper in gulf state waters will be open from June 1 through Sept. 30. Previously, the season in gulf state waters occurred from April 15 through Oct. 31. “Red snapper are considered to be overfished and undergoing overfishing in the gulf,” said FWC Commissioner Dwight Stephenson. “Shortening the fishing season in gulf state waters will help rebuild red snapper populations and hopefully minimize the need for further fishing restrictions.”

DESTIN
Emergency Operations Center Still In Works
The proposed Emergency Operations Center (EOC) at Destin Airport is still under fire, but local officials and emergency operators say the center is much needed. The EOC is part of Jay Odom’s Destin Jet, which is set to open this year to offer terminal, maintenance and hangar services. The city was turned down for a Florida grant to reinforce Destin Jet’s buildings so the city could use them as an emergency operation center during storms. But House Speaker Ray Sansom, working with Northwest Florida College, obtained $6 million in state school construction funds to build the EOC. Greg Donovan, Okaloosa airports director, said the EOC would be invaluable to the community and Odom said he had spoken with Okaloosa County and Gulf Power at the meeting about the design of the project, with both parties agreeing about the need for center.

PANAMA CITY BEACH
Sterling Companies Opens 2 New Properties
The beach is now home to two new Sterling Companies properties. Sterling Breeze houses studio and multi-bedroom units with “designer furnishings, high-end electronics and private balconies offering sweeping views of the Gulf of Mexico,” said Dana Lent, communications manager for the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. Amenities include a comprehensive children’s program, a beachfront infinity pool and a whirlpool spa, a state-of-the-art fitness room, a poolside Internet café and a wine bar.

Guests at the new Shores of Panama can stay in accommodations ranging from studios to three-bedroom suites. Shores of Panama boasts a beachfront grand lagoon pool surrounded by a 13,900-square-foot deck. Other amenities include a children’s activity program; a health club with a spa, a sauna and massage therapy; free high-speed Internet access; and meeting facilities.

Beach Tennis Hits The Gulf Coast
What do you get when you combine the best elements of tennis and volleyball with the white sand beaches of Panama City Beach? You get the “hottest” new sport in America, beach tennis, and a fun way to get active on the sand, said Janice Reese, vice president of marketing for PCB Sand Sports.

Beach tennis is essentially doubles tennis played on the sand. Played on a regulation volleyball court, and using regulation tennis racquets and a slightly depressurized ball, players volley for points without letting the ball touch the sand. “Beach tennis is easy to learn and most newcomers to the game can be up and playing in as little as 30 minutes,” Reese said. “Played at the highest pro level, however, it is a fast-paced, intensely competitive game that delivers an amazing workout, even for hardcore athletes.”

Marc Altheim, a New York real estate developer who saw the sport while vacationing in Aruba in 2003 with his family, is launching Beach Tennis USA in the United States. Beach Tennis USA recently came to Panama City Beach to “activate” an introductory program for College vs. College competition during Spring Break at Sharky's Beach Club Restaurant and Tiki Hut. Sharky's, along with the Towne of Seahaven in Panama City Beach, will be the first location in the area to begin to offer leagues and tournaments.

Beach Adopts New Planning Codes
The Panama City Beach City Council has decided to adopt a new type of development code for the beach called Form-Based Code Building Regulations, according to PCBdaily.com.

According to information passed out at a meeting discussing the adoption of the new codes, “The key distinctions between form-based codes and design guidelines are that guidelines are advisory and often subjective, which frequently result in the need for design review boards. Form-based codes establish specific, measurable standards that require little discretion and limited architectural knowledge.”

Three independent site studies were conducted as well to test the codes in the area. According to PCBDaily.com’s Jason Koertge, “Developers would be allowed greater density the more emphasis they put on beautification toward concealing that density.” He notes Village of Baytowne Wharf as one of the greatest examples of how this type of building coding works. “In Baytowne, the main parking garage is hidden on all sides and the top with walls, landscaping and residential units. The side of the parking garage that is facing the towne part of the village is where retail is located and above that is residential. In the center, which is actually the roof of the parking garage, is the amenity area for the residential component, including lush landscaping, fitness center and the pool.”