The Okaloosa County Tourist Development Department will soon have a new home after the Okaloosa County Commission unanimously approved a $4.1 million package to purchase the former PNC Bank building in Cinco Bayou.
The move addresses the department’s growing space needs while expanding a popular boat ramp facility.
The purchase includes a three-story, 13,859-square-foot building, priced at $2.95 million, at 198 Eglin Parkway N.E., along with two vacant lots at 4 Lucille St. and 254 Seaway St. The project will be funded through multiple sources: $3.1 million from the Tourism Development budget, $750,000 from Cinco Bayou Tourism Development Tax funds, $100,000 from the Cinco Bayou Community Redevelopment Agency, and $150,000 from the county’s Boater Improvement Fund.
Deputy County Administrator Craig Coffey noted the necessity of additional space for the Tourism Development Department, which has resorted to splitting existing offices and converting conference and break rooms into workspaces. Coffey also said the building will not be used as a tourism welcome center.
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