PANAMA CITY — Five developers pitched their proposals to transform Panama City’s Marina into a cultural and economic center Friday.
The five developers — Great South, MCM-BAP, HomeFed/Leucadia, Smith Equity and Bluewater — each made one-hour presentations to the Panama City Commission and other city officials. The city will narrow down the proposals Tuesday and announce the finalists.
Great South
Great South’s presentation was the most ambitious of any of the five proposals, featuring a downtown district that extends from the marina to First Baptist Church and from both bayous on Beach Drive. The downtown plan includes roundabouts at Sixth Street and Harrison Avenue and two more on Beach Drive in western and eastern sections. It would require moving a small section of Beach Drive, something that got the attention of Commissioner Billy Rader, and includes a technology business section on western Beach Drive.
“Panama City is perfect for tech businesses,” architect Michael Beck said.
The plan also would include sewer and water infrastructure improvements in multiple places downtown.
The downtown segment would be built out over time, with investments of up to $3 billion with mostly private entities. Developer Jason Lewis compared it to his projects in Smyrna, Ga., an Atlanta suburb. Ron Fennel, a councilman in Smyrna, said everything started with the first $1 million home in the city, built by Lewis, almost 20 years prior.
Great South’s plan also includes moving City Hall to Fourth and Harrison, which currently houses Trustmark Bank. Lewis said Trustmark is willing to move.
“Moving City Hall from that particular piece of land, that a smart move,” Fennel said.
Lewis and Beck said it was essential to include a large portion of downtown to make the marina project attractive to a large hotel. Great South wants to attract two hotels to the downtown area, although both may not be located on the marina.
Michael Beck, Great South’s architect, also mentioned a potential outdoor music venue to draw tourists, and Great South is looking to use the marina as the site for vertically stacked, mixed-use development, with a business on one floor and residential on another.
For just the marina, Great South proposed a total cost between $50 million and $100 million.
MCM-BAP
Willy Bermello of BAP, which is partnering with MCM for the proposal, did not back down from the developers’ desire to completely transform the marina.
MCM-BAP was the only developer that abandoned the T-dock format in favor of a semicircle structure. Bermello said this was in part to open up the marina and bring the water about 500 feet closer to the public.
“What you have there cannot stay the way it is today,” Bermello said. “Small thinking will never make it a great waterfront area.”
The change was met by skepticism from commissioners and Mayor Greg Brudnicki. The mayor wondered if the restructuring of the marina would open up the city to another challenge from the state, where the state would try to claim the land. Bermello said this would not be an issue because the city already cleared upland area for public use. At any rate, transforming the marina would require more permitting to be conducted.
“It’s easier for a public entity to get a permit,” Bermello said.
The marina is not the only big change MCM-BAP is proposing. The developer also wants a 300-room hotel, which could be 13 to 15 stories tall — as tall as St. Andrews Towers — and the residential-retail combination buildings could be as tall as seven stories. Most buildings downtown are two to three stories tall. The plan also includes a new performing arts center with 2,500 seats.
Appropriately, MCM-BAP’s proposal was one of the most expensive, totaling more than $300 million. The Miami development team attempted to assuage financial concerns by touting their relationship with Ted Matozzo of Bank of America-Merrill Lynch and Red Holmes, who will serve as the team’s housing and commercial expert.
One way the group will save some money is keeping City Hall on site, although their proposal included demolishing the current building.
HomeFed/Leucadia
A major component of HomeFed and Leucadia’s proposal was a grocery store on one level with a parking garage above. HomeFed and Leucadia also includes St. Andrew Bay Land Co., with Jacob Fish serving as the project manager. Local attorney William Harrison would act as the group’s liaison with the city.
“A grocery store is a main selling point,” Rader said. Harrison said the grocery store would be “upscale.”
HomeFed’s plan contrasted with MCM-BAP’s proposal, as the tallest building — a potential hotel — would be five stories, and all other buildings would be two to three stories, although mixed residential and retail businesses would be a component.
The development group would move City Hall, proposing a site at Sixth Street and Harrison Avenue, much of which is owned by First Baptist Church.
“This would activate Sixth Street,” Harrison said.
In City Hall’s current location would be the hotel amid a large residential center. As proposed by AECOM, a park would be featured just north, up against the water with the grocery store in between.
A 100- to 150-room hotel would be on the east side of the marina, with a revamped civic center. Included in HomeFed’s plan are bike paths that connect the St, Andrews and Panama City Marinas. Harrison also discussed improvements to existing schools and recreational facilities, although it was unclear if HomeFed would provide any finances for those projects.
Harrison said the marina project would cost more than $100 million. Harrison said HomeFed is waiting for a commitment from the city, combined with any potential specifications before pursuing any anchor tenants like hotel and grocery chains.
HomeFed is the current developer of SweetBay, the 700-acre mixed use development at the former airport site. Fish said that working on both projects would not be a problem.
Smith Equity
Stephen Grimme of Smith Equity Builders was determined to have a different approach from other developers.
Part of that was a one-level parking garage running along the majority of the western, upland section of the marina. The garage then would serve as a pad for retail, commercial and residential construction. The 6-foot elevation would provide instant flood protection.
Also included in the Smith Equity plan is high and dry storage, which with low building costs Grimme said is a profitable component and an educational incubator for small businesses. It likely would include partnership with either Gulf Coast State College, Florida State University Panama City or both schools. Grimme said it likely would be at least two years to get an incubator approved by the state Legislature. Even before the incubator is launched, Grimme wants the tenants to be local small business owners.
Grimme also addressed the desire for an icon; a lighthouse was previously proposed. Because Panama City is an inner harbor with a history in the timber industry, he broached the idea of a timber lookout tower.
Smith Equity’s plan is one of the least expensive proposals at $55 million, which is accomplished in part by keeping City Hall and renovating the Marina Civic Center.
Mayor Greg Brudnicki expressed financial concerns about bondability.
“He gave the impression that finances change,” Brudnicki said. “Exactly why you would want to get a bond.”
Like HomeFed, Grimme is waiting to contact particular anchor businesses after the city makes a decision.
“I can get money for anything that makes sense,” he said. “Once you know you have the best site, they’ll come, but you have to set the table for them.”
Bluewater
Bluewater Development Group’s Chris Hine made sure to point to his longstanding relationship with Publix in many of his previous jobs throughout the country.
“I’ll tell you looking at the numbers that downtown can easily support a Publix,” Hine said.
Hine also proposes moving City Hall, which would provide the site for a grocery store, although he did not have a relocation site in mind, suggesting the former railroad and tax appraiser sites. Bluewater’s plan also includes a craft brewery, apartments on top of businesses, and renovating and opening up the Civic Center to allow light into the building. Bluewater is open to keeping the lighthouse as the site icon but also proposes getting a resident with a large sailboat to park at the marina to attract attention.
Hine amended the group’s previous proposal, saying the project likely would cost more than $46 million.
Bluewater is the developer for the former depot site in Lynn Haven and, like with HomeFed, Hine said there would not be a problem developing both projects.
Brudnicki said the commission may select certain pieces of each proposal to be a part of the final plan.
“I’m glad we did not have a points process,” Brudnicki said. “Everybody came in with a blank sheet and we saw a lot of creativity.”