Okaloosa Gas District marked a significant step forward in the construction of its new headquarters with a topping out ceremony on August 13.
- The event, which signifies the structural completion of the project, saw the placement of the final steel beam atop the four-story, 152,000-square-foot office building.
The new campus, located in Valparaiso, also includes an 18,400-square-foot operations center, a 7,200-square-foot vehicle maintenance building, and a 23,540-square-foot warehouse.
Gordon King, CEO of Okaloosa Gas District, expressed pride in the project’s progress. “Our staff has been working on this job for probably four or five years now and we’re really proud to see it come to fruition today,” King said during the ceremony.
The new facilities are designed to consolidate Okaloosa Gas District’s team members into a single, community-focused location. The campus will feature large outdoor spaces, interior areas for community events, and kitchen and catering spaces to serve both occupants and the local community.
King emphasized the long-term benefits of the new headquarters.
- “This building is built to last another 50, 60, 70 years,” he stated. “I just can’t think of what we’d be doing today if we were demolishing buildings down the street and having to build back in place. This has really sped the process up for us, gets us where we need to be and actually going to save us money in the long run.”
The project is being led by general contractor Robins & Morton, with DAG Architects handling the design.
Bryan Durkin, Project Director at Robins & Morton, commented on the milestone, saying, “We are excited about the progress on these facilities for Okaloosa Gas District. This milestone marks an important step in delivering this new campus to our community.”
Okaloosa Gas District plans to open the doors of its new headquarters to the community in the Fall of 2025. The move will allow the organization to leave behind its existing campus, where many buildings have reached the end of their useful life.
