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Fort Walton Beach council approves demolition of Steamboat Landing building, allocates up to $166,860
Summary
The city authorized demolition of the blighted Steamboat Landing property, with council approving up to $166,860 for asbestos abatement and structure removal; council discussed the CRA's role and code-enforcement history before the 5-1 vote.
The Fort Walton Beach City Council voted to authorize demolition of the long-vacant Steamboat Landing building, approving up to $166,860 to cover asbestos abatement and removal.
Mr. Davis, a city staff member, told the council the revised quote rose from an earlier estimate to $166,860 after addressing minimal asbestos cleanup. Council members and staff said the property had been discussed at CRA meetings as a downtown blight issue and that demolition could help the parcel sell and return to productive use.
Councilman Walker pressed staff about whether the property had received formal nuisance or code-enforcement notices before the CRA proposed demolition. Council members and CRA board members responded that the site had become unsafe and repeatedly drew resident complaints, and that CRA deliberations had considered demolition as a way to incentivize a sale and raise taxable value.
Councilman Schmidt moved to fund the demolition project as approved in a prior CRA meeting; Councilman Browning seconded. The motion passed 5-1.
The decision authorizes staff to proceed with contracting work not to exceed $166,860; the estimate excludes later dock and concrete-pad work. Council members said the goal is to remove a public-safety risk, reduce vagrancy on the site and make the property more marketable to private buyers.
The council did not record individual roll-call votes in the minutes beyond the 5-1 tally. Staff said any further site work or sale would follow normal procurement and CRA processes.
The demolition funding will come from CRA-eligible resources as discussed in the meeting and will be followed by efforts to market the cleared parcel for redevelopment.
