Gadsden County lays out timelines for six major grant-funded projects; commissioners pick Boys & Girls Club site

Gadsden County officials on Tuesday gave an update on six large, grant-funded construction projects and set timelines that county leaders say are needed to meet funders' deadlines.

The county's interim grants team presented status reports on a special-needs shelter at 223186 Blue Star Highway in Quincy, a Quincy EMS station, multipurpose community facilities in Chattahoochee and Havana, an $18 million public safety complex and a proposed Boys & Girls Club site. Cassandra McLaughn, team lead for the county's project group, told commissioners the projects range from late design through procurement and that several agreements include firm expiration or review dates the county must meet.

"For the Chattahoochee MTCF we have a deadline of 10/31/2026 with limited extension options, so we are postured to move the design forward and push procurement quickly," McLaughn said. She reported ARPA and other legislative grants as the primary funders and said staff would hold weekly check-ins with funders on the highest-priority projects to speed approvals.

Why this matters: several projects use time-limited state or federal grants that the county said may trigger claw-backs or require exhaustion of funds before specific dates. County staff repeatedly told the commission that breaking ground — not simply designing or encumbering funds — is often the key step funders look for to protect allocations.

Project highlights

- Special-needs shelter (Quincy, Gaston Community Hospital site): Funded at $483,000 from the Florida Division of Emergency Management. Staff said design and procurement steps are in process and the county expects to execute a construction contract by December 2025 with a February 2026 groundbreaking target. McLaughn said an amendment extending the funding period is pending with the funder.

- Quincy EMS station (264 Joe Adams): $2.5 million from HUD via CDBG-DR, with a contract extended through September 2027. Staff said the procurement of a construction contractor is planned for November 2025, contract execution in December and a February 2026 break ground. The county plans to use CMAR (construction manager at risk) delivery for this and other high-priority projects.

- Chattahoochee multipurpose community facility (expand Cowen Public Library, 300 Maple St.): $4 million in ARPA funds; agreement expires October 31, 2026. The county has procured CRA Architects; staff reported design development and funder approvals as the immediate priorities and said they will push for weekly rather than biweekly check-ins with Florida Commerce.

- Havana multipurpose community facility (Cecil D. Butler building, 604 Fifth Ave.): ARPA-funded, high-priority project with the same design team (CRA Architects) and a December 31, 2026 expiration on the agreement. Staff described this project as running in parallel with Chattahoochee and said the architect has confirmed capacity to add designers if needed to meet the schedule.

- Public Safety Complex (604 Joe Adams Road): A collection of five legislative grants totaling roughly $18 million to design and build a sheriff's facility, EOC and phased construction elements. CRA was working on design; staff said the EOC design must integrate with the sheriff's portion.

- Boys and Girls Club (proposed Strong Road site, 22-acre parcel): The county holds a $3.6 million legislative grant to design and construct a club in Quincy. Staff said the grant carries a risk of claw-back during the state's three-year review of unspent legislative funds, and that breaking ground reduces that risk. After discussion about multiple potential parcels and access, the commission voted to select a site so the county can proceed with next steps and avoid losing the grant.

Commission and staff process notes

Commissioners asked for clarity on tenants, relocation plans and procurement timing before construction contracts are executed. McLaughn said the county will use in-house construction management and the office of procurement to run RFPs and anticipated Requests for Proposals for construction services would be released within 60 days for several projects.

Commissioner comments repeatedly stressed urgency. Commissioner [unnamed in transcript] told staff, "Indecision is no longer an option" and pushed for a site decision to prevent the county from losing grant funds.

Where things go next: staff said they will deliver RFPs, finalize procurement documents and continue weekly check-ins with funders for ARPA- and grant-funded projects. For the Boys and Girls Club, staff and the board directed follow-up steps to advance design and site control so the county can obligate or break ground in time to retain the legislative award.

Ending note: County staff emphasized the projects are at different stages — some in design, some in procurement — and said they will pursue construction manager at-risk delivery and in-house oversight to accelerate delivery while remaining compliant with procurement rules.