The Santa Rosa Mall is going through some changes
There is no denying the Santa Rosa Mall is changing, but it seems to be for the better! The Northwest Florida Daily News reported that mall owners are continuing to work with unconventional leasers like Planet Fitness, Surge Trampoline Park and Young Philosophers Society, as plans progress for an on-site apartment complex that will house 228 units. The mall has recently signed on eight new leasers, including a production studio, a dance studio and a new hair salon.
The Mall understands that people’s shopping habits are changing and want to provide shoppers with a diverse experience. According to expert David Goetsch, “creating a community, like they say they’re doing, is always a good idea”. If you check out their Facebook page you can see the family friendly events, like Family Night, that they are incorporating to make the mall more of a community. Click here for the full story and more details on what to expect from the Santa Rosa Mall.
Plastic Straws are a thing of the past
I’m sure you guys have seen the war on plastic all over social media lately. Well, local Northwest Florida eateries are aligning themselves with the marine life! According to The Destin Log, Dewey Destin’s Seafood Restaurant, The Slippery Mermaid Sushi Bar and McGuire’s Irish Pub are just three among many local spots that have stopped offering customers plastic straws and other single-use plastic items. The push toward biodegradable dinnerware began with viral videos posted on social media showing plastic straws lodged in the noses of sea turtles and dead whales with stomachs full of plastic. The image above made it rounds locally after our friend Kevonne ‘Kv’ Phillips picked up about 50+ straws at Whales Tail last week. To read more about how these restaurants are making the switch, click here.
The Gulfview Hotel may open in 2019
City officials hope that the near 112-year-old Gulfview Hotel will be renovated, restored and ready to open by early next year! The structure was moved in April down Miracle Strip Parkway and is now located at 115 Miracle Strip Parkway SE. According to the Northwest Florida Daily News, the former hotel will include a welcome center, retail shop, Billy Bowlegs museum, and leased office and meeting spaces. We will know by August 7th whether the plans for the old hotel will go forward sooner rather than later. Here are more details.
Dog Park to open in Crestview
Crestview’s newest addition, Bark Park, will feature a fenced-in area that will remain locked with swipe-card access only. The annual fee for the card will be $25 for city residents and $35 for non-residents. This dog park has been a long time coming with residents getting involved with the process a few years ago after the city couldn’t pay for a dog park, the Crestview Bulletin reported. The city currently does not have a date set for the completion of the park because the funding is contingent on donations. If all goes as planned, it could be completed in two to three months. To read more about Bark Park, click here.
Two parks in Okaloosa County test high for fecal bacteria
Let’s add two more parks to the shit list. During the county’s bi-weekly saltwater quality monitoring, high levels of fecal bacteria were detected in the waters of Liza Jackson Park in Fort Walton Beach and Poquito Park in Shalimar, the Northwest Florida Daily News reported. Due to what the Department of Health has found at these parks, they should be considered a potential health risk to the bathing public. This is the second time in two weeks that Liza Jackson Park has been on this list. For this full story click here.
That’s all we’ve got for today. The latest episode of “Everything” dropped on Tuesday and we toured the Swizzle Stick on Okaloosa Island. Make sure you follow us on Facebook and the ‘gram throughout the day for other awesome shareable content!