I-10 & FL Hwy 77 (Chipley & Washington County)

270 acres on both sides of FL Hwy 77 south of I-10 that has recently completed the sewer and water utility primary services. A total of 226 acres (84%) is already designated for commercial land uses and the remaining 90 acres is within the commercial intent overlay for expedited land use change as needed.

Water, sewer, and natural gas services are provided by the City of Chipley but the primary planning and land use jurisdiction is Washington County. Development in the overlay area can start quickly as 84% of the overlay area is “by right” for commercial construction, and Washington County has promised land owners expediated land use changes, if even necessary, as well as an expedited development order process, and assistance with actual permitting when possible.

Highway 77 is the new 4-lane access from I-10 to the employment base along the Gulf Coast, the Port of Panama City, and the regional population center. Access to the Beaches International Airport is directly from Hwy 77 north of Southport and about 12 miles west before reaching Panama City.

While the commercial intent overlay on Hwy 77 does not have a governmental authority promoting job growth, the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and its Economic Development Council, plus the City of Chipley, are actively seeking development within the overlay and the region generally. The population and workforce are growing in Washington County and new dwelling construction in 2019 nearly doubled (189%) over 2018.

Many of the properties are listed by real estate brokerages with signs on the properties, and detailed demographics and traffic counts are available from the Washington County EDO - call Ted Everett at 850-527-6063.

I-10 & FL Hwy 79 (Bonifay, Holmes & Washington Counties)

1,548 acres on both siders of Hwy 79 stretching from I-10 south through the City of Bonifay and Holmes County to Douglas Ferry Road (2.3 Miles) into Washington County. FL Highway 79 is a direct link to the west end of Panama City Beach and the Gulf Coast between Panama City to Destin and the associated residential and development along the coast line.

When the 4-laning is completed in late 2020, the route to the coast will provide significantly improved traffic flows and it’s the direct link to the Beaches International Airport. The Hwy 79 Corridor Authority was created in 2018 by the three governments for the purpose of constructing sewer and water services the length of the corridor and to operate the common Development Review Committee that will assure one set of development order standards regardless of the jurisdictional government that will issue the permits.

Once the utility construction is completed, currently estimated in late 2020, the Authority will be primarily focused on attracting new development and jobs to the Authority area. As part of establishing the Authority, all three governments went through the process of establishing land use overlays that greatly expedites making land use changes for specific developments, if necessary, and many land owners as part of the overlay process already changed their basic use from agriculture to mixed use, commercial, or industrial.Detailed demographics and traffic counts are available from each EDO and reflect the rural nature of the trading area, plus many parcels are also listed by real estate brokerages with signs on the properties.

If you have interest in the Hwy 79 Corridor area, please contact the Economic Development for Washington County, Ted Everett at 850-527-6063.