By DOTTY NIST
Development at the Mossy Head Industrial Park looks likely to move forward in a big way with county commissioners’ recent approval of the sale of land for a large distribution center.
At an Oct. 17 special meeting at the Walton County Courthouse, the Walton County Board of County Commissioners (BCC) approved the sale of approximately 25 acres at the county-owned industrial park to the Saad Development Company at a price of $19,800 per usable acre.
Larry Jones, county administrator, told the commissioners that the development company had plans to build a 214,000-square-foot building that the developer would then lease to another party for use as a distribution center operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
The party that would operate the center has not been publicly identified.
The commissioners and meeting attendees were presented with copies of a proposed sales contract and a proposed resolution of highest and best use for the property. The contract provided for an 180-day inspection period during which the development company would be able to ensure the suitability of the property prior to closing.
A total of 24.5 acres had been identified as usable for the development at the time of the meeting. Walton County Attorney Mark Davis told the commissioners that an additional 1 1/2 adjacent acres was being evaluated for buildability and could possibly be made part of the sale. The contract provided for the county to hold this acreage in the event it were needed by the developer, he explained.
The contract and resolution of highest and best use were approved with all aye votes of the three commissioners present, Bill Chapman, Sara Comander, and Bill Imfeld.
Asked by a member of the media after the meeting if the business planned for the property would be a job creator, Jones answered, “Absolutely!” He was not able to say how many jobs were envisioned, but he did say that the proposed site plan for the business called for well over 400 parking spaces.
Based in Mobile, the Saad Development Company constructs industrial, commercial and build-to-suit facilities. The company’s web site lists numerous projects, including post offices, retail structures, and distribution centers, among those many Fed Ex express, ground and freight distribution facilities.
