Sen. Don Gaetz weighs in on $83M state purchase of Norriego Point

In Brief:

🌊 Public Access Secured — Four acres of prime Destin beachfront set to become park and marina.
💰 Price Scrutiny — State purchase at $83M far exceeds county appraisal of $10.5M.
🏛️ Local Officials Praise Deal — County leaders highlight long-term public benefits amid questions about campaign donations.

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DESTIN — Florida Sen. Don Gaetz (R-Niceville) is questioning the price tag of the state’s planned $83 million purchase of waterfront land on Norriego Point, even as Okaloosa County officials praised Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet for approving the deal, which will expand public parkland in Destin.

The state’s acquisition, approved Oct. 1, will transfer four acres of prime beachfront from Pointe Mezzanine LLC, a company controlled by developer Bobby Guidry, to the Florida Internal Improvement Trust Fund.

The parcel is slated to become a new public park and marina.

The Okaloosa County Property Appraiser’s Office values the land at $10.5 million, meaning the state’s purchase price is roughly eight times higher than the county appraisal. Guidry and his partners stand to make more than $70 million in profit if the sale is finalized within the state’s 120-day closing window.

Gaetz, a Niceville Republican and former Okaloosa County superintendent, told Mid Bay News he supports acquiring public parkland but questioned whether taxpayers are getting a fair deal.

“I support land acquisition for public purposes in the Destin area and along 30A,” Gaetz said. “But I don’t know that that was the right price. I only know that it was a very big price.”

The senator said he had not reviewed the specifics of the transaction because the property lies outside his current district. He acknowledged that land in Destin is “extraordinarily precious” but said public officials must be careful with large expenditures.

The Florida Cabinet, made up of DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, and Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, voted unanimously to approve the purchase. Ingoglia raised objections about the Destin land deal but was overruled. The state now has until late January to close on the property.

On Oct. 14, Okaloosa County issued a press release thanking DeSantis and the Cabinet for what it called a “tremendous investment” that preserves public access and protects coastal land from private development.

“Thank you, Governor DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet, for recognizing the tremendous value of this land and approving an investment that will expand public access of the coastline for Floridians,” said County Commission Chairman Paul Mixon in the release.

District 5 Commissioner Drew Palmer also praised the decision, calling it a “strategic investment” that ensures “lasting benefits for Destin, Okaloosa County, and generations to come.”

According to the county, the acquisition will expand existing public parkland by 33%, provide road and parking improvements, include full utility connections, and open a 53-slip marina for public use.

While both Mixon and Palmer publicly applauded the deal, campaign finance reports show they each received donations from Guidry during their 2024 election campaigns.

Guidry, through his companies, contributed $8,000 to Mixon and $6,000 to Palmer, according to filings with the Florida Division of Elections. Guidry, a convicted felon, served prison time in the 1990s for bribing former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in a riverboat gambling scheme.

Mixon previously sent a letter to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in August supporting the state’s acquisition and pledging that the county would contribute more than $5 million in funding and in-kind services toward the project.

Neither commissioner has been accused of wrongdoing, but the connections have raised questions among some residents about the optics of public officials supporting a deal that directly benefits a campaign donor.

Gaetz said he has never accepted donations from Guidry and once returned a contribution attempt made years ago. He said elected officials must not only avoid conflicts of interest but also the appearance of impropriety.

“I don’t believe in quid pro quo in campaign contributions,” Gaetz said. “If someone gives me money and says, ‘Can you help me get a job or a contract?’ I return it immediately.”

Gaetz added that large donations from people “who have a bad record of dealing with the public interest” should concern voters.

“It ought to give the people of Northwest Florida pause,” he said.

Under private ownership, the Norriego Point land currently generates about $130,000 per year in property taxes, including $56,000 for the Okaloosa County School District. If privately sold at the $83 million price, annual tax revenue could exceed $1 million. Once the state finalizes the purchase, the property will come off the local tax rolls.

Gaetz said the trade-off between public access and tax revenue is one that communities face regularly.

“If you use land for private development, you get taxes,” he said. “But the public will never have access to it again.”

Gaetz said the Florida Cabinet’s vote likely represents the final approval for the acquisition, with no further legislative review expected.

“When the governor and the Cabinet make a decision, I think it’s a done deal,” he said. “I’d bet a year’s pay on that.”

The state must close the transaction by Jan. 29, 2026, or the agreed-upon price could expire. If completed, the purchase will mark one of the most significant state-funded land acquisitions in Okaloosa County history.