Suwannee County advances $60–$70 million CDBG-DR application for regional hardened shelter and sports complex

Suwannee County staff on Thursday asked the public for input on a planned 125,000-square-foot hardened shelter that county officials say would also function as a sports and events complex, and announced the county will submit a $60 million–$70 million application to Florida’s CDBG-DR disaster recovery program. Jason Furray, assistant county administrator, told the special meeting the application would pursue state resiliency funding available after recent hurricanes and tornadoes that affected the region.

The project, variously called Project Summit or the regional shelter, is intended to serve residents of Suwannee County and a 12-county North Central Florida region during storms while providing a venue for sports tournaments, conferences and other “blue-sky” community events. Furray said the facility is planned as a 125,000-square-foot, wind- and debris-rated building with capacity for about 1,500 occupants and space equivalent to nine or 10 basketball courts.

Why it matters: county staff said the shelter would reduce reliance on schools used as emergency…