The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved amendments to the Baker Area Recreation Association (BARA) lease on Tuesday, June 18, 2024, allowing the County to fully take over the operation and maintenance of the 51.25-acre facility commonly known as the “Baker Recreational Center” beginning October 1st.

This is the second lease amendment related to the facility. Two years ago, the Board voted on a lease amendment with BARA for a partial transition for the County to handle maintenance issues and a renovation of the Community Center, including managing rentals at the Community Center.

The decision comes after BARA requested the County to handle all operational, maintenance, and capital responsibilities for the facility, following changes in County maintenance staffing, increases in the cost of materials and labor, and the loss of prison work crews. 

• The County had previously provided limited support for the facility, but began taking on more responsibilities approximately 18 months ago, including mowing the property, managing and maintaining the Community Center/front area, remodeling the community center, and hiring staff members.

The lease amendment allows for a smooth transition and includes provisions such as granting the Baker Area Recreation Association their preferred date for their annual rodeo, the Old Spanish Trail Rodeo. BARA will not be charged regular fees that another entity would be expected to pay. The County also agreed not to bring in other rodeo organizations for an annual rodeo.

• The amendment also includes coordinating the transfer of the bakerarena.com website domain, and providing storage space for BARA on site.

The County intends to build upon BARA’s achievements and continue investing in the facility as a quality event venue to attract visitors to Okaloosa County. The Old Spanish Trail Rodeo, a long-standing traditional event organized by BARA for 34 years, will continue to receive priority selection of annual dates at no cost for the utilization of main facilities and equipment historically used for the event.

Funding for capital and new operational/personal costs will come from the Tourism Development District (TDD) and are budgeted accordingly for this fiscal year, according to the county. The Community Center will be funded through Facilities/Parks, with some previous maintenance positions remaining split-funded.

To manage the Baker Area Recreational complex, the recently acquired Fairgrounds in Fort Walton Beach, and other facilities, the County is currently hiring a venues manager, expected to be onboard in July, with additional individuals budgeted for in this year’s budget.