The $8 million renovation project at Fort Walton Beach Landing is progressing with the completion of its first phase focused on waterfront improvements.
- GLC Contracting of Fort Walton Beach began work in spring 2023 by removing the park’s existing stage and wooden boardwalk, which sustained severe damage during Hurricane Sally in 2020.
The completed waterfront renovations include a reinforced 700-foot-long seawall topped with a 10-foot-wide concrete boardwalk. Aluminum handrails run the entire length, complemented by bench seating and new light fixtures along the path.
A marine construction company built a new T-dock at the west end of the waterfront and renovated the existing multi-slip dock at the east end. The east end also features a new “pocket beach” and kayak launch with a terraced seating area above it.
The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance has created a living shoreline in the shallow water in front of the park using small oyster shell reefs and native grasses.
- Work has now shifted to the park’s interior for the second phase. Crews are currently constructing the concrete base for a new bandshell, which will feature a circular awning covering the stage and tiered seating for spectators.
Future work includes demolishing the existing restroom and replacing it with two new prefabricated facilities at opposite ends of the park. Plans also call for additional lighting, new sidewalks, more electrical outlets for festival vendors, and a designated food truck area near the park’s northwest corner.
Along Brooks Street, crews have demolished the foundation of the old Science Center building and created a new golf cart parking area. The city has leased property east of The Landing and is working to create a parking lot with 32 to 34 additional spaces.
The renovation is funded through multiple sources, including a Natural Resource Damage Assessment Grant, Restore Act funds, Okaloosa County Tourist Development tax revenues, Okaloosa County’s Half-Cent Surtax for infrastructure projects, and the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency. No funding comes from the city’s General Fund.
