[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6085164,"mediaKeyId","2904107-162fdf3268278bd9285a7aa5c2de09fc","parentId",2904107,"title","Wakulla schools and partners say Warrior Eagle Career Academy aligns K–12 training with local employers for incoming projects","audioSeconds",351,"startMs",3639664,"endMs",3990990,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2904107-162fdf3268278bd9285a7aa5c2de09fc&start=3639&end=3990","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2904107-162fdf3268278bd9285a7aa5c2de09fc/thumbnail_3639664.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6085164/Wakulla-County/Florida/Wakulla-schools-and-partners-say-Warrior-Eagle-Career-Academy-aligns-K12-training-with-local-employers-for-incoming-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085164-209d86f7e80c723746cf08cfc16bb855/orig.mp4?Expires=1775375398&Signature=ek3jdn7ZwxiJNjex78Xtj3JGK7YM6Y~UQs~2uwNISHhRi2jJguHo2vx01YxeF9cM9OVn2khTlUo98XXtr4SJt83ydvF2IsZXAD-3pJOYg4Vp5Dh~FZ2~WeEN4tcY36bE7bKVHWfZU71WsPUWKEFTupws0rJ6RCuBVrFUMEzUzQll8RoEtt8KD3Kd00dXMJaQX8ZpopDBESh6JTPDhAbAzNVOIhDDZOOEzQKj1HWAgGaf5Qg7DzF4B7T2Rk6mY~wghBUs7xQidI~5IFzMiY3zsPpAkJhTo4gOo9Ubxz1wJK1iLH-ezJaoPWNeP92yXdxXo6N1zxCVgbb2JHwF0IbKqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Wakulla County","date","2025-04-08T13:44:25Z","article","WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. — Wakulla County School District leaders and workforce partners told county commissioners the district’s career-technical education (CTE) investments and Triumph Gulf Coast–funded programs create a training pipeline that can supply skilled labor to the projects being considered for Opportunity Park.

Rick Meyer, Wakulla County School District superintendent, described the Warrior Eagle Career Academy as a multi-program facility that houses about 15 CTE programs. Meyer said the district conducts a two-year Comprehensive Local Needs Assessment for each program to confirm alignment with local job demand and program quality; the district reported roughly 700 to 800 industry certifications earned each year and about 1,400 high-school students who could participate in CTE activities.

Why it matters: EDC and regional partners repeatedly cited workforce availability as a key competitive factor for Project Safety and Project Boomer. The school district, CareerSource Capital Region and county staff said they are coordinating to develop internships, on-the-job training and other pathways so students can move from school certificates into local employment opportunities.

Partners and examples
Speakers from CareerSource and Triumph Gulf Coast described funding and programmatic support that help the schools and community colleges provide training. Corey Henderson of Triumph Gulf Coast and county staff noted that Triumph’s workforce-education grants have funded local CTE expansions; presenters said Triumph has invested about $2.9 million in Wakulla County workforce training to date and that the district’s students have earned more than 2,500 industry certifications with that support.

Local workforce strategy
Superintendent Meyer said the district aims to align programs to “local job demand” rather than statewide or out-of-county employer needs, and that the district is prepared to adjust programs — including adding OJT and internships — to match employer requirements for the projects now under discussion.

Provenance
Workforce and school-district comments appeared after the economic-development presentations and before the county finance briefing. Superintendent Rick Meyer and Triumph Gulf Coast program staff provided most of the school and grant-related detail (transcript excerpt: “we have facilities that house 15 different programs... we have about 1,400 kids that will come in high school... we're earning about 700 to 800 certificates a year”).","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Wakulla County BOCC Workshop 04.07.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Rick Meyer and workforce partners described the county’s career-technical education programs and how the new Warrior Eagle Career Academy and Triumph-funded training support the labor pipeline for manufacturing prospects at Opportunity Park.","taxTitle","Wakulla County, Florida","taxId",28293,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6085169,"Wakulla County finance staff warn short-term borrowing and policy changes will be needed if both Opportunity Park projects proceed",503,5968610,6472430,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2904107-162fdf3268278bd9285a7aa5c2de09fc&start=5968&end=6472","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2904107-162fdf3268278bd9285a7aa5c2de09fc/thumbnail_5968610.jpg","/articles/6085169/Wakulla-County/Florida/Wakulla-County-finance-staff-warn-short-term-borrowing-and-policy-changes-will-be-needed-if-both-Opportunity-Park-projects-proceed","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085169-5ec85191515325eb9d3a166d8e88d0e1/orig.mp4?Expires=1775375398&Signature=mQbwVoaov~qlEBySiQOhAY8FUi-SMPur2w3XOhGgisViBPzIeriv824MuhYxur0GJjUFO3DkFo3p33Hn3V~lYSJ6WEOP1323C0bOmkWjITnBhpj679pDhdOXqQUVgGheXJfLo6Ii4ISt3zgn68XwsQz58um6EIpDiUA5jhpyLkAypVRBw9RfumJoX0cRU0EX2CPxKFWOYroWpAwHY6C6DxxBLo0i6InXV9c7PS8tu89bFqSRXsY2jWXxH-u6nODR3K1X~hEluIuGx0SNO7gtqtG5GOWZ2ip6kMR~i4XoBkbocsLuTAXbkJ9dHHebxVPmSrLtFH2bsFMc7T7ZCCUqgQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. — County finance staff told commissioners at a workshop that, if both Project Boomer and Project Safety proceed as currently estimated, Wakulla County would likely use short-term construction borrowing to build tenant-ready buildings and later convert a portion of that borrowing into long-term debt.

Greg (county finance staff) said the county’s existing debt policy sets an aspirational guideline of $500 per resident (adjusted for inflation), which currently equates to about $671 per resident; the county’s short-term borrowing related to implementation of grant-funded projects has already driven the county near that guideline, he said.

Why it matters: presenters said the county must be able to cash-flow large grant-funded capital projects while awaiting reimbursement. Staff reported the county has a $90 million short-term borrowing authorization with JPMorgan for grant cash flow; $30 million was previously borrowed and repaid, and another tranche has been used for grant projects. Staff said the county will likely need to extend or expand the short-term borrowing authorization and add the two Opportunity Park projects to the borrowing list if it wants to proceed quickly.

Numbers discussed
Finance staff presented illustrative totals: combined construction estimates presented by EDC staff were roughly $42 million before grant reimbursements; staff said the county could face a long-term financing need (converted from construction borrowing) in the range of $14 million to $22 million, depending on final grant awards and reimbursements. The finance office described one prior short-term borrowing: a $30 million draw that cost about $1.8 million in interest and fees; the county offset some borrowing cost by investing the proceeds and earned about $900,000, leaving a net cost that staff said was near 1.5% for that tranche.

Policy and process items
County staff said the short-term borrowing shows as short-term debt on county financial statements and must be accounted for in the county’s debt-per-capita calculations. Officials recommended the board consider updating the debt-per-capita target in the debt policy to reflect current financing needs tied to grant-funded capital projects and authorized the finance office to return with exact amortization scenarios once grant awards are finalized.

No formal vote
No formal vote or contract authorization occurred in the workshop. Finance staff said the county would need to add projects to the JPMorgan borrowing list and possibly expand the existing short-term program; those steps and any long-term bond issuance would return to the commission for formal approval.

Provenance
The county finance briefing and Q&A about JPMorgan short-term borrowing and debt-per-capita calculations occurred near the end of the workshop, after presentations on the projects and workforce training (transcript excerpt: “Your debt policy calls for $500 per citizen per capita... As we stood on March 31, we're currently at right at $619 per capita…”).","County finance briefed commissioners that short-term construction borrowing and later long-term financing would likely be required if the two prospective projects move forward; staff recommended updating the county's debt-per-capita guidance and adding the projects to the JPMorgan borrowing list.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6085175,"Wakulla County outlines plan to host two manufacturers at Opportunity Park, with grants and county-owned buildings under discussion",5543,9920,5553485,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2904107-162fdf3268278bd9285a7aa5c2de09fc&start=9&end=5553","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2904107-162fdf3268278bd9285a7aa5c2de09fc/thumbnail_9920.jpg","/articles/6085175/Wakulla-County/Florida/Wakulla-County-outlines-plan-to-host-two-manufacturers-at-Opportunity-Park-with-grants-and-county-owned-buildings-under-discussion","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6085175-cf339eab9d71ff9381886ed90d9e8688/orig.mp4?Expires=1775375398&Signature=aQgwfqdl0SFT~ok9fPCBXLh8rbhOjoHkZTQc7JBzaDpXfhTU~7y0kd5g4EzNVkIZZFv7VDzYNweq~M5s6GUv6Uxh7qhNeOPVOcANapQv8TEh1IbX0v~tofUsx0q9yA7rbvDqH0SsznngM37swKGhdni0DAMN~3aw~MmsG~rOkpSFS-SPWN0fQ0GmVGim8zAlcMOvjbwW6bK8btcTnVuhVGDYjANnuM6~~HmMqj8yIFKzOHwq4OxTQ0WXv5Cf6JfDJNhmg2LtU6YbUETxJ4986s5Sqf73I0SZBNBCBXk40wx9~ovoPS2G3WZP2MYQS6OjbCZ4oKqI26zyL3PLYjN-5A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","WAKULLA COUNTY, Fla. — Wakulla County economic development officials told county commissioners at a workshop that two manufacturing prospects — an expansion by a local elevator maker (Project Boomer) and a larger defense-/public-safety supplier (Project Safety) — are under active negotiation for sites at Opportunity Park and could bring combined jobs, payroll and tax revenue to the county.

The projects are at different stages: Project Boomer is described by county staff as a consolidation and expansion of a local residential-elevator manufacturer that the county expects would retain roughly 79 existing positions and add about 42 new jobs; Project Safety, a larger national firm in defense and law-enforcement supply chains, is presented as a potential direct employer of about 300 new workers. Those figures and other estimates were presented by Beth (EDC coordinator), Mark Cohenstein of Duke Energy Florida, and other presenters.

County and regional partners said multiple funding tools are being pursued. Triumph Gulf Coast has already pledged funding to Wakulla-area projects and staff reported combined Triumph awards for the two projects so far of about $15.6 million. Officials also cited roughly $4.5 million available via Florida Commerce programs and a pending Job Growth Grant Fund application for about $8 million; an additional award from the University of West Florida’s Industrial Resilience and Diversification Fund was also referenced.

Why it matters: presenters said a mix of grant awards, state economic-development incentives, local preparation of Opportunity Park and a county-owned-buildings strategy could make the county competitive for manufacturing site selection and create higher-than-average wages locally. Duke Energy’s site-readiness work and a multi-agency regional marketing effort were credited with moving the opportunities to the county’s doorstep.

Details of the county role and timeline
County staff briefed commissioners that the intended approach would position the county as the grant applicant and initial landlord: the county would purchase land, procure construction of buildings to tenant specifications, then lease the buildings to the companies under performance milestones tied to grant agreements. Presenters said the county would seek grant reimbursements and expect firms to “buy out” the county-owned building after hitting agreed milestones, returning the county to a non-landlord position.

Beth told commissioners the two buildings discussed could total roughly $42 million in construction cost before grant reimbursements. She said Triumph Gulf Coast awards committed so far total about $15.6 million, while Florida Commerce programs and other sources have contributed or are being pursued to reduce the county’s financing gap.

Partners and outreach
Duke Energy’s site-readiness and advancing-sites programs, Florida’s Great Northwest, Opportunity Florida, CareerSource Capital Region, and local EDC volunteers all described roles in marketing the site, providing technical site assessments and arranging workforce training. Jennifer Connelly of Florida’s Great Northwest said Project Safety selected Wakulla County as its top Florida site after touring multiple Northwest Florida locations; Mark Cohenstein of Duke Energy described Opportunity Park as producing no “red flags” in initial site evaluations and noted Duke’s national site pipeline work.

What officials asked the commission to consider
Presenters asked the commission to authorize continued negotiations, include the two projects on the county’s short-term construction-borrowing list, and allow staff to proceed with grant applications and term-sheet negotiations. No formal commission vote or final contract award occurred at the workshop; staff indicated additional procurement steps, term-sheet work and grant approvals would be required before the county signed any land purchase or construction contract.

Next steps and caveats
Speakers said timelines vary and that award amounts and final terms remain subject to grant-board approvals and typical site due diligence. Beth and other staff emphasized the projects remain conditional: “nothing is done until the tenants start anchoring their equipment,” a staff member said. Commissioners were also notified that, if both projects proceed as currently estimated, the county would likely need to use short-term construction borrowing and later convert some of that borrowing to long-term debt depending on final grant reimbursements.

Provenance
Presentation and discussion of Project Boomer and Project Safety began in speakers' presentations about Opportunity Park and Duke Energy’s site-readiness (transcript excerpt: “we... have 2 opportunities that that that you have before you today... site readiness with Opportunity Park”) and concluded with the county finance briefing and Q&A where short-term borrowing and grant reimbursement mechanics were discussed (transcript excerpt: “combined, it's about $14,900,000 that we would be looking at to borrow if both projects came to fruition”).","County economic-development officials described two potential projects — Project Boomer and Project Safety — that could add hundreds of jobs at Opportunity Park, and outlined a financing and lease-to-own approach that would use grants plus county-backed construction borrowing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Wakulla schools and partners say Warrior Eagle Career Academy aligns K–12 training with local employers for incoming projects

Wakulla County finance staff warn short-term borrowing and policy changes will be needed if both Opportunity Park projects proceed

Wakulla County outlines plan to host two manufacturers at Opportunity Park, with grants and county-owned buildings under discussion