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 shelters, allowing schools to reopen more quickly after storms and preserving classroom access for students. The application also targets low- and moderate-income (LMI) households: Furray said the grant planning assumes at least 51% of sheltering benefit will serve LMI residents, and that the county has already secured roughly $6 million to almost $11 million in state funds for land acquisition and initial engineering work.

Public commenters, local businesses and utilities voiced support. Marshall Beck, who identified himself as owner of the Busy Bee business located across from the proposed site, described past evacuations and urged approval: “They evacuated 7,000,000 people. And those 7,000,000 people had nowhere to go,” he said. Crystal Ecker, general counsel and director of administrative services for Suwannee Valley Electric Cooperative, said the site could be used to stage utility crews and equipment before storms and possibly serve as a fueling site, which she said would speed restoration work after an event.

Supporters also highlighted economic-development benefits. Amanda Jackson, president of the Suwannee County Chamber of Commerce, and JD Kurls, speaking for the Chamber, said the venue could create jobs, boost local businesses and expand tourism while preserving school operations during disasters. Frank Davis, speaking on behalf of the City of Live Oak, also expressed city support and noted the county’s location near Interstate 10 and Interstate 75 as strategic for receiving evacuees.

Project status and next steps: Furray said the county has been meeting weekly with grant writers from Ovid Solutions (Tallahassee/Wakulla area) and other partners to refine the application. He told the public a draft application is available at the county office for review and that the county will accept comments through Sept. 26 at 5 p.m.; staff plan to finalize and submit the application to the state shortly afterward. No formal vote or ordinance was taken at the meeting.

Implementation considerations raised at the meeting included coordinating city services, traffic and utilities at the proposed 400-acre site north of the interstate on U.S. 129 (described in public remarks as the hill that used to be a blueberry farm), and confirming multiple funding sources will be required if the state award does not cover the full project cost. Furray noted the statewide CDBG-DR funding pool discussed is about $400 million, and that the county’s $60–$70 million request would be a substantial portion of the available funding.

The county described the facility as a shelter (not an emergency operations center), emphasizing it is intended primarily for daytime/evening sheltering and sporting or event uses rather than long-term base-camp logistics with large numbers of vehicles and tents. County staff also said the project would be hardened against wind and windborne debris to offer stronger protection than current temporary shelter locations.

For more information: the draft application is available at the Suwannee County office, and residents may submit comments through Sept. 26 at 5 p.m. County staff requested that anyone with questions call the county offices for details and follow-up.