Pelican Real Estate News Archives

Pelican Real Estate held a contest this summer involving real estate sales, listings and birdhouses?   Sounds like a strange combination, but it worked!   Top Sales honors go to Craig Duran in our Calypso office and Top Listing honors go to Shelley Elley in our Fort Walton Beach office.   The grand prize winners received an iPad.   In conjunction with the agent contest, each Pelican office decorated a birdhouse.  The birdhouses were judged by celebrity judge, Laurie Hood, Founder of Alaqua Animal Refuge.  The birdhouses were decorated with LOTS of personality and style making it very hard for our judge to choose a winner.  After a survey of the birdhouses, our Destin Summit office was declared the winner!   The birdhouses were donated to Alaqua to auction off at several of their local events.  All proceeds will benefit Alaqua and their missions.  The contest was a huge success due the support of the Administrative Directors in each office.  What a fun way to wrap up the summer!

Those who know Forever 21…LOVE IT!  The store offers on- trend fashions for women, men and children.  This modern store appeals to all age groups looking for a fashion forward style at amazing price points.  The Los Angeles based chain has over 460 throughout  the US.  With plans to open this fall, Forever 21 will be a wonderful addition to the tenant mix at the Commons.   For addtional store information, visit www.forever21.com.

The nation’s largest independent furniture retailer, Rooms To Go, is adding a new location next to Destin Commons.  Plans call for the store to open mid 2011.  Rooms To Go offers the unique concept of displaying and packaging furniture in complete room settings coordinating colors, fabrics and accessories down to the last detail.  Showrooms display bright, stylish and friendly furntiture creating an easy one-stop decorating experience for their customers.  As an added bonus, Rooms To Go ensures delivery of your purchase within days, not months.   Rooms To Go has additional Emerald Coast locations in Pensacola and Panama City.  For more information on furniture packages and services, visit www.RoomsToGo.com .

Lowe’s Home Improvement has recently finalized the purchase of a 20- acre outparcel adjacent to the Bass Pro Shop in Destin Commons.  Construction is expected to start sometime next year and should take 12 months to complete.   Welcome to the Emerald Coast!

Wal-Mart will be adding two locations in our local area.  The Niceville location is well on its way and the building is expected to be completed in September or October.  No opening date as been released for this John Sims Parkway location.  The site offers additional commercial parcels with no confirmed tenants announced.    The Santa Rosa Beach location is planned for the intersection of  U.S. Highway 98 and West Hewett Road in Phase 1 of  Topsail West.  The project includes additional plans for for shops, restaurants and other businesses.  Estimated opening is at least a year away.    

Coastal Living’s July/August issue had a great list of reasons for loving the coast… At the beach, no one raises an eyebrow when adults act like kids…Lounging under an umbrella for nine straight hours is considered normal…Our best memories are made there-on vacation, on a sunset walk, on a dare on a surfboard…At get-togethers, the dress code is always “come as you are”…It’s where we seem to get our best night’s sleep…Food tastes better at the shore. In fact, you’re practically required to indulge. Ice cream before noon? But of course!…Dolphins smile…Pelicans dive…Crabs crawl sideways…When you are on “beach time”, everything is go with the flow. No schedules. No rushing. No stress…Cocktail hour is really a race between you and the melting ice…Everybody smiles bigger when they have a sun kissed glow on their cheeks! Yes, we do love living at the beach! Come join us and become our neighbor!

The United Service Organization (USO) has opened the “Freedom Lounge” in the Northwest Florida Regional Airport.  This 1,000 square foot facility offers Military personnel and family members welcome packets, emergency assistance with lodging, transportation, meals and communication services.   Special features include: computer stations, library services, TVs and a friendly play area for the kids.  The Lounge is staffed by USO volunteers.  Col. Bruce McClintock, Commander of the 96th Air Base Wing at Eglin Air Force Base boasts   “ This is the classiest USO facility I’ve ever seen!  This community does the best job of caring for past, present and future warriors – we are grateful for all that you do”

The Navarre Beach restoration project, which was completed in November 2006, has been named as one of the four best completed restoration projects in the country by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association.  The sand quality, size of the project and collective efforts to gain state funding were sited as winning characteristics for the project.  Approximately 3 million cubic yards of sand were placed on 3.7 miles of beach during this project.  In order to keep the native sugary white sand covering the beaches, sand was dredged from a borrow site in the Gulf about 4 miles offshore.  Locals and visitors agree that the $18.2 million dollar project was well worth the investment.  Congratulations to all who were involved in this award winning project!

It is time once again to line the streets of Fort Walton Beach and become pirates ( if only for the weekend)!     The Festival events start Thursday night at 4 p.m. with a Pirate Walk in the downtown area (trick-or-treating -pirate style) followed by a family friendly block party and the Billy Bowlegs Pub Crawl.  Festival activities officially kick off on Friday June 4th at 3 p.m. at  The Fort Walton Landing.  Events will be held throughout the weekend including the skirmish between Capt. Billy and the Mayor, live music, local artists, delicious food, children’s activities, Children’s Pirate Parade and nightly fireworks.  Monday night’s  Torchlight Parade will close out the Festival.  Arrr! For more information visit www.fwbchamber.org/bowlegs  

After five long years, Navarre Beach will again enjoy a pier!   Grand opening festivities are planned for Saturday June 5th.  The previous pier had been destroyedby hurricanes Ivan and Dennis.  Public input has been vital in this project and the local residents are thrilled about their new pier.  The 1,545 ft pier is the longest pier in Florida and the Gulf of Mexico.  Special features include a low wattage, turtle friendly lighting system, octagonal end design with 3,800 square feet of surface area, over 800 breakaway wood panels, 7 potable water spigots, a deck height of 30 feet above water, an overall accessible surface area of over 32,000 square feet, and 16 handicap accessible railing locations.    Come down for a walk, to fish or just to celebrate and enjoy this beautiful addition to Navarre Beach.  Summer hours are 5 a.m. – 10 p.m. seven days a week.