What will become of Whittle Building in downtown Milton? Here's Santa Rosa County's plan:
Santa Rosa County will offer up the Whittle Building for a lease, following years of the structure sitting functionally stagnant in downtown Milton.
Earlier this year, County Commissioners tasked staff with exploring all options for the Whittle Building, a property at 6828 Caroline St. across from the Brew Angels brewery and adjacent to the Gulf Coast Garage Patio Bar.
During a meeting Monday morning, commissioners directed staff to draw up a request for bidders on the lease. They said they would like to see requirements in a lease agreement that involve getting the building up to code and offering some sort of functionality.
Stakeholders from Providence Church in Milton expressed an interest in using the space.
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"Our commitment would be not only interest in the property, but I can assure you as a pastor in the community, we have a deep interest in the welfare of the community," said the church's pastor, Zack Sims. "We have deep interest in the aesthetic in downtown."
The Whittle Building originally operated as a car dealership. It was acquired by Santa Rosa County from Pensacola State College — then Pensacola Junior College — in 1994. In recent years though, it has been used as a warehouse or sat vacant.
The decision to lease the building comes as the Florida Department of Transportation has said it plans to use the area where the building is for the widening project on U.S. 90.
"If we do anything, it should be a short-term lease, and then you have to figure out who's going to make the improvements," county resident Sherry Chapman told commissioners. "We know FDOT on Highway 90 — they're going to four-lane (it), whether that's bad or good."
Commissioners had discussed the options of selling the land outright or demolishing it, but decided against those paths.
"I just have a really hard time understanding why you would cost every one of us, as a taxpayer, more money down the road in FDOT acquisition knowing that's coming," said District 5 Commissioner Colten Wright on the idea of selling the building. "I have no problem leasing it. I think we have to figure out how we address the cost of improvements."
This summer, the county received a formal appraisal on the structure. Appraisers were candid about the poor condition of the structure but noted there were legal and financially feasible uses for the property.
"The subject property would likely appeal to speculators who might hope to gain by ultimately assembling it with an adjoining property. Alternatively, the site could appeal to an office user, boutique retailer, or for multi-family residential purposes," the appraisal reads.
That appraisal valued the location at $149,000.
A recent inspection report found asbestos in the facility and estimated demolition costs were about $30,000, plus the cost for asbestos abatement.
"Get out of the business of holding on to these buildings," Milton City Councilman Jeff Snow advised commissioners during Monday's meeting. "It's costing the county money and the city money."
Some, like resident Angie Carter and District 1 Commissioner Sam Parker, were particularly intrigued by the church's would-be use of the location.
"I think the commissioners' job is to protect the citizens to make this community a better place to live. ... You look around and the faith-based organizations are the ones that are doing the most for the community," Carter said.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Milton Whittle Building to be leased out. A look at what could come:
