The Destin City Council approved a $200,000 grant agreement Monday that will fund design improvements to the Crosstown Connector multiuse pathway, expanding it to meet state trail requirements.

• The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) grant will support design changes to ensure the pathway meets requirements for inclusion in the SUN Trail network, which aligns with the Florida Greenways and Trails System Plan’s Land Trail Priority Network.

Mayor Bobby Wagner explained that the improvements will primarily involve widening the pathway. “I think they were at eight feet already because that’s our new standard. The Sun Trail is a little bit more expansive at 10 to 12 feet,” Wagner said. 

According to city documents, much of the existing SUN Trail route through Destin does not meet current requirements. The grant will allow the city to update the pathway design along the new Crosstown Connector roadway.

• The council approved the agreement during their March 3 meeting. The grant, which was not anticipated or included in the fiscal year 2025 budget, required a budget amendment to increase both grant revenue and expenditures by $200,000.

Wagner highlighted that this project fits into a broader regional vision. “At the end of the day, Sun Trail’s a regional network. What I feel we can get done in the next 10 years for our region is from Pier Park to Okaloosa Island Pier,” he said. “Destin’s just caught in between and we had a lot of gaps and a lot of pedestrian incidents.”

Wagner stressed that the Crosstown Connector is more than just a road project. “It’s a place where people can genuinely pleasantly walk, bike, and go to these parks. We’re making sure that it’s pedestrian forward and pedestrian safe,” he said.

• The SUN Trail design work complements existing trail segments. “Azalea Drive is already 10 feet wide, and then we’re working on the Stallman area and Calhoun, under the bridge,” Wagner noted. “Outside of doing the under-the-bridge project for the pathway, we almost have a complete network from where our new parcel is at the foot of the bridge to Crosstown Connector.”

City staff assured council members that the design work will not delay construction of the Crosstown Connector, a key component of the city’s strategic goals and objectives.

“Crosstown Connector is so much more than just a project about cars and vehicles,” Wagner added. “We’re going to have nearly a football field-and-a-half size of parks, and we’re going to have safe pedestrian pathways for people to enjoy.”