A unique website dedicated to fishing information from Florida's Northern Big Bend. This includes the area from the Econfina River west to the Apalachicola River
Taylor County officials expect federal and state agencies to complete their part of permitting later this year for a plan by a University of Florida benefactor to develop about 600 acres of his nearly 4,000 acres with five miles of waterfront along the coastline. Plans for the vacation destination development include 1,400 condominiums and a public boat launch the size of a football field.
From Cedar Key north to the beaches of Taylor County, the only remaining large tract of privately owned, undeveloped land belongs to Dr. J. Crayton Pruitt, a 74-year-old St. Petersburg heart surgeon who underwent a heart transplant at Shands at UF a few years ago and recently made two donations totaling $10 million to UF to help develop a department of biomedical engineering. Pruitt is working with Treasure Island developer Chuck Olson to develop Magnolia Bay and Marina, a tourist condominium resort with a public access marina, on Pruitt's Taylor County land.
The single most ambitious project being planned along the region's coastline is Magnolia Bay near Dekle Beach.
Taylor County Manager Buddy Humphries said the county has not received a development plan yet for Magnolia Bay, but he has been in discussions with the developer for more than three years. Project developer Chuck Olson submitted plans for the project to the Suwannee River Water Management District in December to begin the permitting process.
"This will be a public access marina with a resort that would attract tourists and be good for the economy," Olson said.
The plans include 1,400 condominiums that could be leased but not used for permanent residences, a marina with nearly 800 boat slips and access to a deep water channel originally dredged during World War II for military training exercises.
"We want this to strike a balance somewhere between Key West and Fort Lauderdale - a place that will take on its own personality for this part of Florida," Olson said. "If this were all built today, it would be close to a billion-dollar project. We aren't going to be building little fishing village shacks."
Olson said the price of the project will continue to rise as time goes on because building materials, fuel and labor costs are all likely to increase.
"Now we are doing the sea grass research and we expect to go through another round or two of questions and answers with the government agencies before we can move on to the next step of the permitting process," Olson said. "We are trying to do something positive for Taylor County and so we want to take our time and do this right so it may take another year or 18 months before we begin construction."
Im from Perry and the buzz has been goin around for a while now. This thing is supposed to be HUGE and bring a lot of people The coast how we know it now will not stay that way much longer and will soon start to favor the big tourist places.
The plans include 1,400 condominiums that could be leased but not used for permanent residences.
Sure... That many condo's that can only be leased and not used for permanent, sure do not see that part happening, they just will not sell. Or if they do sell your not going to have that many folks leasing that many condos's year round.
Its gonna be one heck of a jam on the coast for sure..
Somebody tell me where that WWII channel is....There ain't no stink'n channel other than the Dekle channel that is 6 foot wide and maybe 300 yards long...I don't think Perry could keep up with the growth.
"We want this to strike A BALANCE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN KEY WEST AND FORT LAUDERDALE - a place that will take on its own personality for this part of Florida," Olson said. "If this were all built today, it would be close to a billion-dollar project. We aren't going to be building little fishing village shacks."
Chalk wrote:Somebody tell me where that WWII channel is....There ain't no stink'n channel other than the Dekle channel that is 6 foot wide and maybe 300 yards long...I don't think Perry could keep up with the growth.
I'm with you Chaulk, I've fished that area for over 40 years and I don't remember no channel around there.
And just think I thought I was going to get away from the rat race here and retire to a slower pace in Panacea on some propety I bought a few years ago. Our county has grown so fast it now takes 45 min to travel 5 miles to town now.They call it progress but I thought progress was supose to benefit all,not just the ones who are already wealthy.
I rode to East Point yesterday. First time I've been through the highway 98 area in a while. I couldn't believe all the construction. Looks like our forgotten coast has been remembered.
Dr. Pruitt is previously pushed through a big development plan centered on ephemeral lake / wetland valleys in the sand hills south of Leesburg. His plans in Taylor County raise major problems with hurricane surge and enviromental impact. Fortunately for him, St. Joe slipped through legislation this year aimed at their Frankllin County problems that has the potential to open-up coastal density increases through much of the state (not yet law but I would be surprised to see a veto). So yes, big money talks and this is how it happened in south and central Florida.
Our county has grown so fast it now takes 45 min to travel 5 miles to town now.They call it progress but I thought progress was supose to benefit all,not just the ones who are already wealthy.
