COMING SOON

Aldi, Ulta, among 6 stores coming to Crestview Commons

The City of Crestview has confirmed 6 stores coming to the highly-anticipated Crestview Commons. The big names include:

• Aldi
• Ulta
• Burlington’s 
• Marshall’s
• Five Below
• Chili’s

The $24 million shopping center project is located off Highway 85, just north of Interstate 10. 

According to Chance Leavins, Public Information Manager for the city, there are still a couple of spots that the city doesn’t have a confirmation on yet.

“We believe that this lineup of stores is a great fit for our needs, and we are very excited about the Crestview Commons and what it will provide for our residents,” said Tim Bolduc, Crestview City Manager. 

As far as a timeline on the entire project, the city is hopeful for a completion sometime in 2023.

SCHOOL

Nursing program launches for high school students in Okaloosa County

On Tuesday, August 9, 2022, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and the Okaloosa County School District (OCSD) announced the launch of the Health Academy of Northwest Florida. 

• The Health Academy of Northwest Florida is a program of the Career and Technical Education Department of OCSD, which provides high school juniors and seniors interested in healthcare careers the opportunity to earn industry certifications.

The Health Academy of Northwest Florida will be housed on the campus of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital, with the first course offered being a two-year Practical Nursing program. 

Students enrolled in the Practical Nursing program will learn the foundational principles of basic nursing and medical skills needed to provide care to patients. 

• Students at Choctawhatchee High School, Fort Walton Beach High School and Niceville High School are eligible to participate in the Practical Nursing program through the Health Academy of Northwest Florida.

“The health and wellbeing of our community is our top priority, and this partnership allows us to address the needs of an evolving healthcare system while placing students on a successful career path,” said Zach McCluskey, CEO of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital.

Students enrolled in the Practical Nursing program will receive hands-on clinical training at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital during their senior year. Upon completion of the two-year program, students will be eligible to earn a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) and/or Electrocardiogram Technician (EKG) certification — giving them the skills needed to directly enter the workforce. 

• Juniors who complete the program will have the opportunity for dual enrollment in the LPN program at Okaloosa Technical College during their senior year, and get a head start on earning their required course hours toward an LPN license.

Students who successfully complete the Practical Nursing program through the Health Academy of Northwest Florida will have job placement opportunities throughout HCA Florida Healthcare. 

• In addition, if employed by an HCA Florida Healthcare facility, tuition reimbursement will be available for students wishing to continue on their education path.

“The Health Academy of Northwest Florida will allow our students to participate in a Practical Nursing program that will not only provide industry certifications in the practical nursing field, but will establish a pipeline from high school to employment at local hospitals or other medical facilities,” said OCSD Superintendent of Schools Marcus Chambers. “We truly appreciate HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital and their vision for helping make this partnership a reality.”

In addition to establishing a healthcare career talent pipeline, as part of the partnership, HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is providing a 6,375-square-foot-space to OCSD for the Health Academy of Northwest Florida, which will include two classrooms and two practical labs. 

• Construction of the new space is slated to begin soon, with an anticipated completion date of January 2023. 

“We are excited for the opportunities that this partnership will create for our students, and are truly grateful for the generosity of HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital in providing this amazing space for us to host this program,” said April Branscome, OCSD career and technical education program director.

The program will kick off its first semester this month, utilizing classroom space at Okaloosa Technical College until construction at HCA Florida Fort Walton-Destin Hospital is finished.

NEWS

FWB Council approves 8-foot fences throughout the city

Back in May, the Fort Walton Beach City Council voted to amend the Land Development Code to allow for 8-foot fences on residential properties abutting school properties.

• The current allowable fence height in the city is 6-feet.
• The current allowable fence height in the county is 8-feet.

In the Fall of 2021, the Okaloosa County School District began hardening all of the schools within the county through the installation of 8-foot high perimeter fencing.

• For residential homes next to schools, this meant they began seeing 2-feet of chainlink fence above their 6-foot fence.

During that same meeting, it was proposed that the city allow 8-foot fences throughout the city limits for anyone who wishes to have a taller fence. At last night’s council meeting, that became a reality with a unanimous vote.

• Residents will be able to install an 8-foot fence on the sides and rear of the property.
• Fences in the front will still be limited to the 4-foot rule.

“I think it’s a happy day for many here in our city that are property owners,” said Councilman Nic Allegretto. “It clears up a lot of confusion and also makes it a lot easier on staff to identify issues and work through those things as there’s not as many differences in our land development code with this new ordinance.”

• Allegretto, who championed to amend the 8-foot fence rule, went onto say that he personally cannot wait for an 8-foot fence to surround his property.

This was approved on first reading. The final approval will take place on August 23, 2022, which means residents can have a taller fence on August 24th.

COMING SOON

Freedom Beacon Tech Park approved for Hilton Home2 Suites in FWB

During last night’s Fort Walton Beach City Council meeting, the major development order for phase 3 of the Freedom Beacon Tech Park in Fort Walton Beach was unanimously approved by council.

Freedom Beacon Tech Park is a 50-acre mixed-use development, master-planned by The Jay Odom Group under a long-term land lease with the US Air Force.  The Jay Odom Group broke ground beginning the installation of the infrastructure for Freedom Beacon in 2021. 

• This project boasts 1,500± linear feet of frontage along Lewis Turner Blvd and hopes to transform the north side of Fort Walton Beach into a bustling commerce center, bringing jobs, housing, hotel and meeting space accommodations, restaurants, Class A office space and a 4-acre recreational park to the local community.

Phase 3 is for the addition of a Hilton Home2 Suites hotel that will be situated at the front of the property, closer to Lewis Turner Blvd. The 5-story, 126 room hotel includes all the amenities you would expect at a hotel such as a swimming pool, fitness center and 5,000 square feet of conference space.

Developer Jay Odom told the council last night they they are anticipating a significant amount of conference business, from both the local area and from the military.

Additionally, Odom says they have also been awarded another hotel, a Holiday Inn Express, that will be directly across the street from the Home2 Suites.

• “We’ll end up with two nice hotels and we are working with several restaurants for out front,” said Odom.

As you can see in the rendering above, Freedom Beacon will have a very large flag pole onsite. Odom confirmed to the council last night that the flag pole will be 200-feet tall and will be the tallest in Florida.

• This should not come as a surprise to longtime residents of Fort Walton Beach. Odom is responsible for the 170-foot flag pole at Uptown Station.

The tech park also includes a 312 luxury apartment that was approved for Phase 2 and is already in talks with tech companies to setup shop in the park.