CRESTVIEW — Despite rumors to the contrary, it’s not a Target, nor a Red Lobster, nor an Olive Garden or even a shopping mall that's under construction near Lowe's Home Improvement.
It’s a sewer line.
But when it’s done, current construction — near Crosson Road, off South Ferdon Boulevard — will facilitate building any of those businesses, should they choose to come to Crestview.
“We’ve been planning that project for five or six or seven years and it’s finally come to fruition,” city engineer Fred Cook said. “It is the Lowe’s area trunk sewer line.”
The upgraded line was originally to be a partnership between the city, land developer D.R. Horton, the Watkins Group shopping center developer and Beach Community Bank, which owns the property.
Neither developer could build their planned projects until the existing line is upgraded, but the city could not afford to perform the upgrade on its own.
When Watkins abruptly pulled out of the project in October 2013, it threatened to unravel not just the new sewer line, but two D.R. Horton housing developments as well.
Groundbreaking for the shopping center, which was to be called the Crestview Crossings Power Center, was to be in mid-2014.
Public Works officials, working with D.R. Horton and the bank, were able to scrounge sufficient money together in this year’s budget to construct the 15-inch trunk line.
An 8-inch sewer line currently serves the area from Lowe’s east to the Redstone Avenue schools, and south of Interstate 10. It is at maximum capacity, precluding future development in the area.
The News Bulletin's Facebook fan page has received numerous private messages and wall posts requesting more information on the construction — readers wanted to know which businesses were coming to the city.
However, as of now, city officials say what or when something might come to the site is unknown.
“We haven’t seen any plans submitted on that property,” Cook said. “I don’t think the city has heard anything from a potential developer for more than year.”
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Lowe’s area construction isn’t rumored Target or Red Lobster…