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Commissioners approve 12‑month extension and $25,000 escrow on 280‑acre Endeavor housing purchase
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Summary
Jackson County commissioners voted to grant a 12‑month extension to the buyer of the 280‑acre Endeavor site on Hoosa Road and required an additional $25,000 earnest deposit; the board debated a six‑month alternative before approving the amendment by voice/hand vote.
Jackson County commissioners voted to grant a 12‑month extension to the purchase agreement for the 280‑acre Endeavor housing site on Hoosa Road and required the buyer to add $25,000 in earnest money to the county escrow account.
Staff described the item as the fifth amendment to the agreement for the property, which had an original purchase price of $837,000 and is now owned by another company identified in the meeting as Lennar. "So the short version of this amendment is it's the fifth amendment...they really put an additional $25,000 into the escrow account," staff said, describing the proposed terms and the developer's ongoing engineering work on the site.
Board members debated whether to give six months or 12 months for the buyer to close. Supporters argued a full year would allow the developer time to complete due diligence and move the project forward; opponents expressed hesitancy about tying the property up that long and suggested a six‑month compromise with the same financial requirement. Commissioners noted the developer already had invested in preliminary engineering and the deposit structure would leave the county with additional earnest money if the buyer failed to close after the extension.
Committee member moved the 12‑month extension with the $25,000 deposit; the motion was seconded and approved by voice/hand vote. Commissioners also said that if the buyer showed insufficient progress after the extension, the county would revisit options for the property.
Votes at a glance from this meeting: the board approved the county's local mitigation strategy (reviewed by the Florida Division of Emergency Management); authorized alcoholic beverage licensing for a racetrack; approved two event standby ambulance agreements (motocross and rodeo); approved a patch truck purchase (under budget by $71,572); approved a one‑year ambulance equipment maintenance contract; and approved a 92‑day change‑order extension for the Jackson County Museum project to align the contract with the grant expiration.
What happens next: The county will finalize the amendment with the developer and record the additional escrow deposit; the extension runs for 12 months from the contract amendment date and the board said it will consider further action if the buyer fails to meet the revised timeline.
