Flagler County details timeline and budgets for 10 capital projects, including two new fire stations and Nexus Center

Mister Salinas, county staff presenting the capital projects update, told the Flagler County Board of County Commissioners at a March 17 workshop that the county is advancing 10 major capital projects with staggered construction timelines and mixed funding sources.

The projects he reviewed include two new fire stations (Station 51 and Station 50), a 48‑bed substance use treatment facility (SMA project), the Flagler Nexus Center (a combined library and health and human services hub), an executive airport terminal, a multipurpose emergency shelter, a restaurant and amenity project at Bull Creek Campground, Commerce Parkway (a 1.7‑mile connector road), the Old Haw Creek road paving, and a Regional Trails and Conservation Center.

The most urgent items, according to Salinas and later discussion by commissioners, are the two fire stations and the Nexus Center because each carries multi‑year construction schedules and have operational staffing implications. Salinas said Station 51 (about 10,000 square feet, replacing the existing Espanola facility) is about 90% through design with a target construction bid in summer 2025 and completion in winter 2026. He said the project budget is “close to $7,000,000” with part funded by the county’s half‑cent sales tax. Station 50, the county fire headquarters across from the Government Services Building, is estimated at about $12,400,000 with a $10,000,000 state appropriation, approximately $1,900,000 from the general fund and about $500,000 from the half‑cent sales tax; design was reported at roughly 60% complete.

On facilities related to human services, Salinas said the SMA men’s residential substance‑use facility (48 beds) is 70% designed and has a $14,000,000 budget consisting of a $10,000,000 legislative appropriation and $4,000,000 contributed by the SMA board. The county selected a design firm in December 2024 and expects to bid construction in summer 2025 with completion anticipated in winter 2026.

The Nexus Center — a multiuse building proposed to house the replacement Bunnell library, library administration, county health and human services, community space, and senior programming — was described as about 55% through design with a $16,200,000 budget made up of general fund, approximately $4–$5 million in grants the county secured, library impact fees, and passport revenues. Salinas said construction began in July 2024 and the county expects completion in November 2025.

Airport and shelter projects were presented with their primary funding sources and timelines. A Flagler Executive Airport terminal (about 15,000 square feet) has received state legislative and FDOT grants and an $11,800,000 project budget; bids were completed in late 2024 and construction was expected to start in April 2025 with completion targeted for November 2026. The multipurpose emergency shelter on about 100 acres of state land carries a $10,000,000 legislative appropriation; site preparation and design procurement were underway with construction slated to begin in October 2025 and a completion deadline of July 2026. Salinas said the shelter will serve as a special‑needs and consolidated evacuation facility and will be available for public events and rentals.

Other projects: Bull Creek Campground improvements (elevating site, restaurant structure with a modular “container” kitchen, floating docks, septic relocation) were funded by hurricane recovery dollars ($1.2M), general fund ($290,000) and impact fees ($60,000) for a total of about $1.5M; Commerce Parkway (2 lanes, sidewalk, drainage) is 80% designed with a $14.4M total cost split between FDOT ($6.8M), the City of Bunnell ($4.5M) and county transportation impact fees ($3.1M). The Old Haw Creek road was described as a roughly 4.9‑mile paving and drainage project that is about 75% complete and expected to finish in July 2025. The Regional Trails and Conservation Center was presented as a roughly 10,000 square‑foot facility with TDC and legislative funding under discussion and a potential completion in spring 2027 depending on final funding.

Commissioners pressed staff on contingencies and recurring operating costs. Commissioner Pennington asked whether the county had built operating‑cost estimates and additional FTE needs into upcoming budgets; Salinas and other staff said staff will return with forecasts on FTE, utilities, insurance and maintenance needs tied to the largest facilities (particularly Nexus and the new fire stations). Hamid (engineering department oversight referenced in the presentation) and other staff noted projects under contract include contingency allocations and that projects without fixed‑price contracts could be affected by material‑cost changes or tariffs.

Several commissioners raised the timing of funding sources and the county’s use of tourism reserves (TDC) and legislative matching funds, especially for the Regional Trails and Conservation Center. Commissioners asked staff to show the TDC reserve commitment in funding graphics so the board and legislators see the county match when pursuing a $3,000,000 state appropriation tied to a $10,000,000 tourism reserve pledge.

The update closed with staff offering to provide a more detailed fiscal spreadsheet by fiscal year (original budget, amendments, revised budget, expenditures and encumbrances) and a dashboard for smaller projects under $1,000,000 so the board can monitor scope, schedule and budget status more frequently.

Ending: Staff said they will return with additional fiscal and operations detail before the next budget cycle and will provide a public dashboard for ongoing CIP and smaller facilities projects.