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UPDATE: Vandegriff Park Chapel & gazebo to be removed at The Landing as renovation starts

UPDATE: The demolition of the Chapel at Vandegriff Park has been POSTPONED and will be discussed at the Nov. 19 City Council Meeting to review options for the building moving forward. The gazebo at The Landing will still be demolished, but has been rescheduled to Monday, Nov. 4, because of equipment issues. Original report below: […]

UPDATE: The demolition of the Chapel at Vandegriff Park has been POSTPONED and will be discussed at the Nov. 19 City Council Meeting to review options for the building moving forward. The gazebo at The Landing will still be demolished, but has been rescheduled to Monday, Nov. 4, because of equipment issues.


Original report below:

This week, the City of Fort Walton Beach will permanently remove the old gazebo at The Landing in preparation for the upcoming park renovation project.

The gazebo was built in the early 2000’s with a donation from the Women’s Club of Fort Walton Beach, replacing the original gazebo that was in poor condition.

Additionally, the Vandegriff Park Chapel located on Miracle Strip Parkway at Vandegriff Park will also be removed and demolished.

The chapel, which was actually the Methodist Church’s original office built in the late 1940’s, has fallen into disrepair over the years with termite damage and rotting wood. The location of the building will be commemorated and remain on the City’s historic walking trail.

Previous removals

Back in mid-September, the old Venture Hive building (previously Emerald Coast Science Center) along with several dead trees at the Landing were removed.

The demolition of the Venture Hive building will now provide additional parking for the park and the dead trees were removed for safety reasons.

The FWB Landing Renovation Project (VIDEO)

The City of Fort Walton Beach held a ‘Public Update’ back in July along with Councilman David Schmidt. This meeting gave the public the latest update on the Fort Walton Beach Landing Project.

In the video below, City Manager Michael Beedie and Councilman Schmidt gave a recap.

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Community Comments

“Why not fix the dog parks adjacent to red lobster?”
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“They spend 3.75 MILLION dollars of tax payer money and don't know what they are going to do with the property? If your child came in your home and said...”
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“If Walton County was not so greedy and decided to “TAKE” what they wanted instead of “buying” it like other areas (Destin/Okaloosa County)have, this might have never been a problem....”
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“I remember both Kathy & Lee from their work with the church youth program. Despite being a Catholic "yankee" visiting each summer I have never found a more welcoming place...”
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“Hey Lee. I am so glad Danny sent this article to all the Szarowicz siblings! Congratulations on an amazing career!!! Wish I had been there to witness it. I remember...”
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“Congratulations, Lee, and the very best wishes to you and Cathy during your retirement years. A heartfelt thank you on behalf of my Bolton family for your attention and care....”
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“There is no public parking…note from article, “The beach bar is accessible only to Sandpiper Cove residents and guests, along with people walking up from the beach.” Walk in from...”
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“This should NOT BE ALLOWED in single family residential neighborhoods.”
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“It's amazing that the State of Florida can come up with money to purchase 2483 acres for a new park. But Caladesi Island State Park, Cayo Costa State Park and...”
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“What a beautiful story of past, present, and future. Lee, you have left an amazing legacy. These words from Matthew 25:21 are fitting for you, ‘Well done, good and faithful...”
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