CRESTVIEW — The Okaloosa Industrial Air Park has become the county's first certified park through Gulf Power’s Florida First Sites program.
The 134.7-acre park is adjacent to the Bob Sikes General Aviation Airport, with an 8,005-foot runway.
“Here in Okaloosa County we already knew that the Okaloosa Industrial Air Park would play a prominent role in the future development of the area,” Okaloosa County Commissioner Chairman Nathan Boyles said. “This site certification will help convey that message to the national and international business communities, and further efforts to recruit quality, high-wage jobs for the citizens of the county."
The electric utility's 2-year-old program helps communities prepare locations to attract new industries and jobs to the region. Fourteen sites were initially submitted from public and private landowners. Of those, six have been certified and four are still working toward their certification.
Gulf Power hired McCallum Sweeney, a nationally recognized site consultant firm, to offer third-party analysis of the submitted sites. The consulting firm evaluates the properties, identifies improvements that must be made and then certifies the sites once they have met all the program requirements.
Gulf Power is paying half the consultant charges for publicly owned sites, with private landowners paying the full amount.
The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners and the Okaloosa County Airports partnered to pay the remaining half of the McCallum Sweeney certification fees for the Okaloosa Industrial Air Park site.
Visit FloridaFirstSites.com for more information.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Okaloosa industrial park certified, ready for business