Expect This Pier and Dock To Be Finished in Niceville By Next Summer:

In Brief:

🛠 Construction Approved — Soule Construction selected for $3M first phase of Niceville Old Town Landing.
⛵ Project Scope — Includes a 125-foot pier into Boggy Bayou and a six-boat dock, totaling 6,000 sq ft.
💰 Funding Secured — Paid for by Niceville CRA, Okaloosa County Tourism, and the state boater improvement program.

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The Niceville community redevelopment agency unanimously approved the selection of Soule Construction of Pensacola to build the first phase of the Niceville Old Town Landing at a cost of about $3 million.

The construction will consist of a pier jutting out into Boggy Bayou from the park on Bayshore Drive, and a dock capable of holding six boats at a time. In all, the facility will cover about 6,000 square feet.

City manager David Deitch said that the company has 270 days to complete the project “once the clock starts.” He estimates that the clock should start after they finish their paperwork, around 30 days from the city’s August 12 meeting.

“We should expect it by summer,” said city councilwoman Cathy Alley.

The Community Redevelopment Agency and the Tourism Department for Okaloosa County will split the lion’s share of the more than three million dollar price tags for the project – while funds from the state boater improvement program will also cover a small bit of the costs.

Kristen Shell, the former Deputy City Manager for Niceville and the current growth management director for Okaloosa County says that the project had to meet the smell test from the county for “tourism impac,” but she expects the vast majority of users for the facility will be loca

City Councilman Doug Tolbert asked Shell if the project was fully funded.

“I sense some shock and disbelief. It’s only been 12 years in the making, right,” Shell responded with a laugh.

Later, at the regular council meeting where the council formally approved moving the project into the construction phase, Tolbert said, “I’d also like to call out Kristen Shell for this [project]. This has been 12 years [in the making] and she has gotten more accomplished in that year than the previous 12. So, I am really thankful for her pushing this and guiding this and helping this, because this is a landmark change for the City of Niceville by putting this 125ish foot pier and dock that goes out into the water for residents to enjoy.”