Top 10 stories of 2013: #4 Panama City moves forward on marina project // READERS VOTE HERE

The News Herald is publishing its annual countdown of the top 10 stories of the year.

These were the stories reporters and editors felt were the most important in Bay County in 2013. The series will end on New Year’s Eve, with the top story of the year. Also on that day, The News Herald will list the top 10 stories as ranked by readers in an online poll.

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NEWS HERALD TOP 10 STORIES COUNTDOWN:

10. Sunday: Florida State University Panama City opens to freshmen, sophomores

9. Monday: Arrival of F-22s, Air Force personnel delayed for a year

8. Tuesday: Big Changes at The Rescue Mission

7. Wednesday: Development boom at Pier Park

6. Thursday: Region Raked in BP Money

5. Friday: Changes at Bay Med, EMS

4. Today: Panama City Marina developments

PANAMA CITY — Indecision on the part of elected officials this year may have worked to the city’s benefit.

Much has transpired since city commissioners broke ground for the $12.9 million Marina Redevelopment Project in March, and, though they allowed a bid for the Marina Park portion of the project to lapse in October, word of the city possibly having outright ownership of both marinas could validate the commission’s apprehension.

Despite the stalemate, Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Director William Whitson said the city is still on track to meet the entire project’s completion date in summer 2015.

“So far we are on schedule, but some adjustments may need to be made,” Whitson said. “It’s not critical yet, but in the next few months we need to meet those targets.”

CRA staff spearheaded the project, arranging the retirement of the city’s iconic F-101 Voodoo jet, relocation of a 600-year naval time capsule and removal of the historic magnolia trees on the marina concourse.

Stalemate

A discrepancy of about $1.6 million between engineer estimates and the lowest bid for Marina Park spawned the stalemate of awarding construction contracts.

Royal American Construction’s bid of $5.37 million overshot the $3.7 million estimates of AECOM, the project’s designer, leaving only about $2 million to complete sea wall repairs — and placing city staff uncomfortably close to the repair-money threshold. About half of the amount over the estimate was attributed to lighthouse construction.

Lighthouse estimates from AECOM came in at about $800,000, and Royal American valued it at $1.6 million. Other portions such as the splash pad, band shell and a gathering building were all over estimates, said Neil Fravel, Public Works director.

City staff attempted to whittle the cost down, only cutting about $580,000 from the price tag — a figure with which commissioners still were not comfortable.

Though the city could change plans for the Marina Park, Mayor Greg Brudnicki indicated commissioners would not abandon plans that initially cost the city $85,000 to design.

But that was before commissioners got word of plans for a beach-side lighthouse at the Miracle Strip Amusement Park in Panama City Beach. Brudnicki said Panama City has offered to buy the building plans for the beach lighthouse but will not know the outcome until the coming year.

“If they give us a reasonable price, then we will decide that mid-January,” he said.

Marinadeeds

The strewn rubble and exposed interior of the marina are observable signs of progress for the redevelopment project. In meetings between state and local officials, historic but less visible developments have been taking place.

City attorney Nevin Zimmerman anticipated the city will have by February a written document of sole ownership to both city marinas after more than a half-century of contested rights. Outright ownership would mean commissioners could change the use of developments from strictly public to a blend of public and commercial.

“We feel the state concedes the legal position as an agreement that there is no basis to have a restrictive use on either marina for public purposes,” Zimmerman said before commissioners allowed the Marina Park contract to lapse in October. “Hopefully, there will be a corrective deed forthcoming.”

The city could receive a bill of more than $95,000 along with the deeds to the marinas.

Zimmerman informed commissioners in December the city received state grants of about $95,000 in the past 20 years, and those may have to be repaid with interest.

Provisions for grants on both marinas required enhancements for public usage only, and plans involving a mix of commercial and public use could breach that agreement.

Zimmerman reassured commissioners the language of those grants — as with the ongoing struggle for ownership rights — would be contested.

“What the grant is saying is the boat ramp needs to be public, not the entire marina,” Zimmerman said.

Related stories:

Removal of historical landmarks:

· http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/marina-jet-headed-for-retirement-1.79021

· http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/voodoo-leaves-its-display-perch-video-photo-gallery-1.139673

· http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/city-won-t-open-600-year-time-capsule-1.157630

· http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/p-c-magnolias-coming-down-1.135608

· http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/city-approves-moving-ice-house-1.143152

· http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/pc-commissioner-send-icehouse-project-back-for-more-study-1.196486

· Lighthouse developments:

· http://www.newsherald.com/news/government/city-accepts-50-000-down-payment-for-lighthouse-1.124637