Milton has a grand vision for developing the downtown riverfront. Why hasn't it happened?

It could be argued that were it not for the Blackwater River there would be no Milton.

Founded in 1844, the very name of Milton, one of the state's oldest cities, is thought to have been derived from the term mill town, and a historical plaque posted near the river south of U.S. Highway 90 speaks of Santa Rosa County's vibrant maritime heritage that made this region a center of commerce from the late 1880s through the 1930s."

And yet as Milton city leaders struggle to find a happy medium between preserving their town's proud history, making good decisions in its frenzied present and planning for the future, the river can seem at times almost an afterthought.

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A bold plan to redevelop the city's Blackwater River waterfront, more than a decade in the making, has been shelved again for the foreseeable future, according to Milton Economic Development Director Ed Spears.

"We're waiting for the economy to improve," Spears said. "We want to see a dramatic slowdown in inflation and reductions in the cost of materials and labor."

What the city envisions is a "linear progression" river walk that provides pedestrian access from an existing walkway that originates in the downtown area south of U.S. Highway 90 to a revitalized Carpenters Park with the Milton Marina on Quinn Street as a featured component.

Carpenters Park has already been upgraded with the additions of a boardwalk, kayak launches and a splash pad, Spears said.

The city goal for development centers on entering into a public-private agreement that would bring mixed-use development to the riverfront. Original plans called for a restaurant, retail store, single-family homes, townhomes and apartments and a dog park, with a centerpiece marina that will increase public access to the Blackwater River.

The cost of the project has been estimated to exceed $8 million.

The grand scheme seemed to be coming to fruition in January of 2021 when the city agreed to proposals from two companies offering to take on the creation of a river walk entertainment district. One of the groups, Jones South Development LLC, eventually backed out though, and the second, Blackwater Development Group, was sent packing after it, according to City Manager Randy Jorgenson, "didn't initiate any substantive action."

A request for proposals was sent out again in May of 2022, but, when only one proposal was received, and it did not meet the basic requirements of the RFP, it was rejected by the Milton City Council at the recommendation of city staff.

While Milton planners had called for a design/build type offer for development, Orchestra Partners offered only to complete a strategic vision plan identifying specific projects for redevelopment, generate a "seed fund" for work and manage pre-development work, financing and construction.

Spears said, however, that the city thought enough of Orchestra Partner's concept that it "wanted to talk about doing something with them in the future."

One aspect of the riverfront project could be decided with the issuance of an Attorney General's Office opinion on whether tourist development tax dollars can be used for construction of an amphitheater in Navarre Beach.

Spears said the opinion would settle a debate about whether TDT funds could be used for portions of the riverfront project as well.

"The funds for the two projects would come from the same pot," he said.

The long-discussed riverfront development issue is but one simmering on a back burner for the city of Milton. A plan to widen U.S. Highway 90 through the city has been widely debated and if it comes to fruition could impact historic buildings such as the Fisher Hamilton Building that stands on the south side of the U.S. 90 bridge as it enters downtown.

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Florida Department of Transportation spokesman Ian Satter said no timeframe has been scheduled for the highway widening. He has said in the past that if the road is widened, the Fisher Hamilton Building will be saved, but it will be moved about 60 feet from where it presently stands.

Another item of concern to the city is the fate of the now abandoned County Courthouse Building which has stood for years overlooking U.S. 90 on Caroline Street west of the portion of the Blackwater River walkway that has been completed.

There has been talk of preserving the building but at least one Santa Rosa County resident, Elton Killam has said the old courthouse serves no historic purpose and that the county would be better off to raze the structure and create a green space.

Spears has said the city "hopes to work closely with the county as we determine the future of that (courthouse) building." He has seen a reuse plan commissioned by Santa Rosa County that would convert the courthouse grounds for multi-family residential development and perhaps save the building itself as a historic preservation project.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Milton Blackwater riverfront development on hold due to inflation