The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of five lots on Shoal River Drive to create an upland park area for Patriot Park during their meeting on Tuesday, March 18.

• The $550,000 acquisition, plus up to $25,000 in closing costs, will be funded through American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) interest monies. The purchase includes five large residential lots and two stormwater parcels at two locations on Shoal River Drive.

“These are the high and dry parts,” said Commissioner Paul Mixon during the meeting. “Those are the parts we can use from the roadway. The rest of it has beautiful meandering trails, beautiful beaches along the waterfront.”

According to Craig Coffey, Deputy County Administrator, the county received a donation of 165.4 acres along the Shoal River in January 2024 from the developer of Patriot Ridge, which formed the foundation of what is now called Patriot Park. However, much of that land is low-lying and unsuitable for park amenities.

• “We’ve called it Patriot Park because the land was donated by a developer of Patriot Ridge, and it’s patriotic. So we like everything patriotic here in Okaloosa County,” Coffey said.

The newly acquired lots were formerly part of a golf course and include sections of an existing cart path. The purchase will allow for the completion of a 1.25-mile loop for walkers and runners using much of the former golf cart path.

The western lots will provide space for a parking lot, playground, pavilion, bathrooms and other park amenities, while the eastern lots will likely have a trail and minor recreational features due to their proximity to houses.

The county is currently clearing some trail areas on the property and developing a master plan for the park. Officials have established a neighborhood committee to gather input from nearby residents.

• “The way we’re getting the buy-in from the neighborhood is we had a town hall meeting in the neighborhood and talked about the potential of Patriot Park and what it hopefully would one day become for the benefit of the entire county, but most specifically for the ones that are within walking distance of it,” Mixon said.

Commissioner Drew Palmer expressed support for the project, saying, “This is going to be a tremendous asset to the county. I’m very excited about just all of the work that we’re doing with parks. This is just something I’m very supportive of.”

The county already has $330,000 budgeted from the Park MSTU and general fund to create the park master plan and begin making improvements. Additional funding will be allocated as needed once the master plan is complete.

The purchase agreements include one from a homebuilder for the five residential lots and another from the homeowners association for the two stormwater ponds. The acquisition is contingent upon favorable appraisals for the property purchase prices.