PANAMA CITY — Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Director William Whitson has resigned, the agency’s board was told Tuesday.
In a resignation letter to City Manager Jeff Brown dated Aug. 10, Whitson said he would like to pursue other opportunities and interests. He added that his last day was Tuesday and the CRA budget is complete.
“I would like to say thank you to the city of Panama City for the opportunity to serve,” Whitson wrote. “I am proud of the many projects we started, including the grant programs that were established, the African American Cultural Heritage plan, several new park improvements, the revitilazation of the St. Andrews Farmers Market, and the Downtown Marina Master Plan, and subsequent development that has now started as well as many other projects and programs supported by our team.”
Whitson was paid $87,014 per year.
Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the CRA board approved the purchase of KJ’s Bar and Nightclub and an adjoining piece of property.
The property acquisition for 908 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and 707 E. Ninth Court, an adjacent empty lot, costs $118,000, with an additional $7,000 in closing costs agreed to in a contract with owner Alistair Anderson.
The purchase is part of the Downtown North Cultural District. Designs included in the CRA agenda packet are for a revamped nightclub reminiscent of the 1960s-style and keeping with the historical designs for the area. Commissioner Kenneth Brown also has shown interest in putting a museum or partial museum at the location.
Brown said there was a plan to purchase KJ’s several years ago, but it fell through. The recent violence at KJ’s was a primary reason for the purchase, Whitson said.
“It will eliminate that,” Brown said.
An email from Panama City Police Chief Scott Ervin states there were 267 calls at KJ’s address since 2008, including 20 battery reports, 17 physical disturbance calls, 14 discharged weapons and two homicides.
The CRA board also approved design guidelines for the Millville CRA. The Millville guidelines are just the first for similar guidelines for each of the CRA subsections: Downtown, St. Andrews and Downtown North.