Destin reviews SRS master plan; council weighs Morgan complex, harbor improvements and Crosstown Connector timing

City of Destin staff briefed the City Council in a workshop on the SRS master plan for the town/city center, presenting a proposed Morgan Civic and Recreational Complex, Harbor 1 public-space concepts and other town-center priorities and asking the council for guidance on next steps.

City staff framed the plan around a single guiding line: “preserve our heritage and protect our future by making good decisions today,” and said the firm SRS produced a multi-part vision that includes a proposed Morgan Civic and Recreational Complex, expanded museum and harbor-area features and pedestrian and traffic improvements.

The most developed estimate in the presentation was for the Morgan Civic and Recreational Complex. City staff said that engineers estimate roughly $43.43 million for the complex; staff reported roughly $32 million of that would be building facilities and about $10 million would be site, signage and engineering work. Components shown on staff slides included a lake, a renovated playground (scheduled to open next Monday), the Morgan Sports Center, a new community center and plaza, a new city hall (as an option on the slides), additional playgrounds, picnic shelters, large- and small-dog areas, a skate park, outdoor basketball and sand volleyball courts.

Staff also presented a set of museum- and harbor-facing improvements around the Destin History and Fishing Museum and Harbor 1. Staff said those elements were estimated at about $22 million and listed features such as a museum expansion, open lawn, outdoor stage, parking garage, a replica Destin family homestead and boardwalk expansion. Harbor 1 concepts included a small outdoor events platform, picnic shelters, hammock benches and more boardwalk; staff said no consolidated cost estimate was prepared for Harbor 1.

Council and residents pressed staff on priorities, site configuration and cost. John Stevens, a resident who gave public comment, suggested adding transient boat slips to provide additional boating access to the harbor. Autumn Weidenhammer, a resident, urged the council to keep the existing dog park where it is, saying she did not “see the value in not putting it over by some of the kids’ stuff.”

Councilmembers raised several cautionary points. Councilmember Sandy said she opposed reconfiguring some existing facilities and preferred using pocket parks on land the city already owns rather than large new construction. Councilmember Trammell and others said they had “deep misgivings” about parts of the plan and emphasized finishing projects already underway before starting major new initiatives. Councilmember Kevin criticized the workshop’s preparation and the lack of a published agenda and urged the council to focus on parks and recreation priorities rather than new city hall construction.

Staff reviewed related infrastructure and funding activity. Staff said the city is preparing a $20 million grant application tied to Stallman Avenue and plans to ask the county for an interlocal agreement that would provide $3.6 million in matching funds; staff said that matching commitment would leave roughly $400,000 as the city’s share if the grant is awarded. Staff also said $1.5 million currently appears in the state house budget and separately noted $250,000 for an underpass element. On the Crosstown Connector, staff said they opened an RFP today for stormwater work and received two bids; staff said a recommendation to award would be presented to the council at the next meeting and that work on the awarded stormwater contract would have a 3‑ to 6‑month completion window once a notice to proceed is issued. Staff also said the city received RFQ responses for construction engineering and inspection (CEI) services and will bring those recommendations to council in short order.

Other details staff provided: about $100,000 in sidewalk improvements and a little over $2 million in roadway work planned for FY25; about $300,000 in parking revenue realized since March 1 and a parking reserve of more than $2 million available for parking-related spending; and planned ribbon-cutting and field‑lighting timelines for Morgan-area playgrounds and ballfields.

Next steps identified during the workshop included the staff application for the $20 million grant and the county interlocal request, a council decision to award the stormwater contract after the staff recommendation (anticipated at the next meeting), and further council direction on which SRS elements to pursue, sequence or modify. No formal council votes or ordinance actions occurred during the workshop.

The council’s discussion underscored differing views on scale and sequencing: several members urged prioritizing green space, pocket parks and finishing existing capital projects; others said the plan contains useful ideas that merit selective follow-up. Staff asked the council for direction on which elements to pursue and for authorization to continue with the grant application, procurement and CEI selection processes.