Okaloosa County Commission gives nod to move forward at Northwest Florida Fairgrounds

Things are moving forward at the Northwest Florida Fairgrounds. 

The Okaloosa County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday gave the nod to the move forward with Phase I of renovations at the fairground. 

Phase I will include demolition of certain buildings, updated finishes on remaining buildings, entryway realignment, new restrooms, and ADA parking. Here is what we know:

Background of the issue

Last year, the Fort Walton Beach City Council voted to sell the 20.3-acre property to the county in a 20-year agreement. 

As per the agreement, the county is to maintain the property for public use and prohibit a sale without approval from the Fort Walton Beach City Council. 

Also, the county must allow existing events and uses to continue while working toward enhancements and potential upgrades for future events. 

In September, commissioners approved a seven-person Fairgrounds Advisory Committee to spearhead the planned initiatives for the site. 

What's the plan?

On Tuesday, the Fairgrounds Advisory Committee presented its plan, which is broken down into five phases, with hopes of getting approval of Phase I and direction on how to move forward. 

Jennifer Adams, director of the Tourist Development Department, said the committee had met five times since September of 2023 and had pulled together recommendations for improvements. 

“We were fully engaged on the task that you asked us to provide back to you,” committee member Charles Rigdon told the commission Tuesday morning. Rigdon is the son of C.H. "Bull" Rigdon, one of the founding members of the fair when it first began on Okaloosa Island in 1966. 

“I’d like to thank ya’ll for appointing me ... I have a little bit of history with that facility, and it is special to me and my family,” Rigdon said. 

Rigdon when on to thank the county for having the “foresight to protect this asset” which he said is “very vital to Okaloosa County and extremely important to the south end of Okaloosa County ... to all the residents.” 

"It's a unique facility and it has served the community for years, but it is getting a little age to it,” he said. 

"The structure itself is in good shape. It needs a little cosmetics and brought up to date in a few things, but I applaud your tenacity in saving the asset,” he told the commission. 

“Fifty years from now when everything is built out, we’ll have a county asset that we can be proud of,” Rigdon said. 

Rigdon, on behalf of the committee, recommended that the commission approve Phase I and allocate dollars to clean up the facility. 

“Let’s face it, there are some areas that really need to be renovated,” he said, noting bathrooms, the vending area, the access area to the building, parking, lighting and sidewalks. 

Commissioner reaction Part 1: 'There is no need to concrete all of Fort Walton Beach'

Commissioner Carolyn Ketchel said she was also glad they had acquired the asset of the fairgrounds. 

“The recommendations that came back are exactly what we hoped, for the most part,” she said. 

Ketchel explained that when they purchased the fairgrounds, their hopes were to have it for a staging area when hurricanes or disaster strikes. 

“We love having green space. There is no need to concrete all of Fort Walton Beach,” she said. 

“I love the idea of cleaning up all the buildings and refurbishing them, especially the kitchens and bathrooms, even the parking lots and RV spaces,” she said. 

The one thing Ketchel was concerned about was the construction of a “tall structure” that is planned in one of the later phases.  

“The public no longer wants us spending large amounts of money on these buildings,” she said. 

Commissioner reaction Part 2: 'You did exactly what I was hoping'

Commissioner Trey Goodwin liked the overall plan and how they had it layered out in phases. 

“You did exactly what I was hoping,” Goodwin said. 

Goodwin pointed out they were accepting the plan as a concept, but only authorizing them to move forward on Phase I. 

Rigdon said a “master plan is what it is ... you don’t have to live by it.” Rigdon said future boards may want to switch and change things. 

His request was for the commission to “commit today to Phase I which is clean it up and get it a little more presentable. Put a little lipstick on it and makeup and let it do what it has been doing for a while,” Rigdon said. 

The commission voted unanimously to move forward on Phase I.