The Navarre Beach Boardwalk, Explained: What's Actually Proposed and Where the Debate Stands Now
October 22, 2026
October 22, 2026
"We're hearing many of the same questions over and over," Santa Rosa Deputy County Administrator Jared Lowe said at a Sept. 3 Tourist Development Council meeting, as reported by the Pensacola News Journal. "Some of the questions being asked are things we've seen on Facebook."
The county's answer was a 16-question FAQ on its Navarre Beach Boardwalk Project page. Read next to the bids opened Sept. 17, it shows that commissioners will be choosing a base package and then deciding which of five priced add-ons to include. Even the lowest base price is already higher than the money the Tourist Development Council set aside for the project in 2024.
The proposal is an event hall and boardwalk complex on county-owned land in Navarre Beach Marine Park, next to the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center. According to the county FAQ, plans call for a 6,523-square-foot building. Of that, 3,710 square feet is an event hall with a maximum occupancy of 248 people. The rest holds a lobby, two meeting rooms, an A/V room, a warming kitchen, storage and restrooms.
The county describes the hall as an event space similar to a community center, designed so the Board of County Commissioners can meet there, much as it does now at Tiger Point. For a Navarre Beach resident, that means county business could someday happen on the island instead of across the Sound or in Milton.
On the dunes, the county's position is direct. Its FAQ says no dunes will be destroyed because the project sits north of the dune line. Like the pier, the existing walkovers and the condos, all beach construction stays north of the state's Coastal Construction Control Line. The PNJ also reported that the FAQ cites the zoning. The site is in the Navarre Beach Conservation/Recreation category, the same one used for the pier, the Sea Turtle Conservation Center, the Marine Education Center and the beach fire and rescue station.
The building has gotten smaller and more public over time. As the Pensacola News Journal described it, the 2019 concept had small open-air shops, shaded areas accessible to disabled beachgoers, more bathrooms, a large parking lot, Gulf-view decking, landscaping and art. An amphitheater was briefly considered. A new visitor center and Tourist Development Office headquarters would have anchored the site.
The county's own timeline fills in the rest:
The office and visitor-center pieces are gone. Most of the other 2019 features are still around, but as separately priced options.
The county asked contractors for a price on a basic package, meaning the event hall, boardwalk and stairs. It then asked for separate prices on five add-ons. Lowe told the PNJ that the bids were set up this way so commissioners could pick and choose.
The five options:
Three companies bid when the bids were opened on Sept. 17, 2026:
| Bidder | Base package | All five options |
|---|---|---|
| Crucible Construction, Spanish Fort, Ala. | $8,321,183 | $13.3 million |
| Empire Builders Group, Pensacola | $9.45 million | $15.7 million |
| Green-Simmons Company, Pensacola | $9.8 million | $16.9 million |
For the lowest bidder, the gap between the base package and the full package is about $5 million. That's nearly as much as the original 2024 earmark. So which options commissioners choose matters about as much as whether the project moves forward. Shops, a food truck plaza and public restrooms would make for a very different stretch of Navarre Beach Marine Park than a stand-alone hall and boardwalk.
The $5.5 million the Tourist Development Council earmarked in 2024 is the only funding amount the county's timeline names for the project. The lowest base bid is $8,321,183, about $2.8 million more than that earmark before any options are added.
Design costs have already been paid. The county lists $106,600 to Dewberry Engineers for the parking lot and restroom design, and $716,509 to STOA for the boardwalk and event hall design. In September, Navarre Press reported that design spending totaled $823,109. Assistant County Administrator Sabrina White said all of it came from the Tourist Development Department's budget, which had a balance of a little over $6 million at the time. The PNJ rounded the design spending to about $1 million. The county's itemized figures add up to the $823,109 Navarre Press reported.
That puts any decision in context. Tourist-tax money has paid for the design. A construction plan at any of the bid prices would need more than the earmark. As of mid-October, the county had not published how it would pay for construction.
Public comment has been heavy. Navarre Press reported that more than 25 people signed up to speak at the Aug. 25, 2026 commission meeting, and most opposed the project. The concerns quoted in Navarre Press coverage included losing undeveloped scenery and the beach's quiet character, plus sea turtle and bird nesting habitat and lighting.
Petition counts differ depending on the source and date. Navarre Press reported 12,591 combined signatures on two online petitions as of Sept. 17. On Sept. 21, the PNJ described a single petition with at least 8,000 signatures that highlights the "untouched nature" of Navarre Beach.
Some objections have focused on the vote itself. According to the PNJ, the board voted 2-1 on Sept. 25, 2025 to approve the revised design task order. Two commissioners were absent, and Commissioner Rhett Rowell cast the dissenting vote. The full board had already supported moving forward with a scaled-down design at its Sept. 11, 2025 Committee of the Whole meeting. Lowe also explained that three commissioners make a quorum on a five-member board.
The district's own commissioner proposed scaling back. The PNJ reported that in late August, outgoing Commissioner Ray Eddington, whose District 4 includes Navarre Beach, asked his colleagues to drop everything except the boardwalk itself. The other commissioners called that premature with the bid opening still ahead.
The next step was a public workshop at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at the Santa Rosa County Administrative Building in Milton. It was set up for information and questions, with no vote planned. After Hurricane Isaias, the county's Oct. 14 storm update said the workshop would be rescheduled, with a new date to be announced.
As of mid-October, no new date had been announced and no construction contract had been awarded. Under the county's procurement process, staff recommend an award and the Board of County Commissioners makes the final decision to approve or reject it.
In the meantime, the rest of the Marine Park area is getting back into its fall routine. The county scheduled the Navarre Beach Fishing Pier to reopen daily from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting Oct. 20. Anglers were asked to bring their own ice, and bait was expected back Oct. 22. Next door to the proposed site, the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center switches to winter hours on Nov. 1, open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
If you want the primary record before the workshop is rescheduled, the county posted video of both key board discussions. The July 21, 2025 presentation starts around the 37:23 mark, and the Sept. 11, 2025 presentation starts around 1:14:28. The new workshop date will be posted on the county's project page.
If you'd like help reading the bid options or following the board's next steps on the boardwalk, Shelby A Baker is happy to talk through what's on the public record. Schedule a consultation and bring your questions.
Stay up to date on the latest real estate trends.
Get assistance in determining current property value, crafting a competitive offer, writing and negotiating a contract, and much more. Contact Shelby today to discuss all your real estate needs!