MILTON — If the Navarre Area Board of Realtors wants to continue to use the Navarre Community Center as its headquarters, it will have to buy the now surplus building from Santa Rosa County.
County commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to declare the center surplus and to seek bids to buy the 26-year-old building. Commissioners hope to sell the property and use the proceeds to help buy land for a new community center.
“This will also hold our feet to the fire in getting a new community center in Navarre,” Commissioner Lane Lynchard said.
The Board of Realtors has leased the building center since Dec. 1, 2007. Much of the discussion Thursday was focused its lease, which expires Dec. 31.
Commissioner Jim Melvin said the Community Center was the only one in Santa Rosa that is maintained by an outside entity, and he wanted the make sure the county would take over the building if it cannot find a suitable buyer.
Although Commissioner Bob Cole ultimately voted to have the county take back the operation from the Realtors at the end of the year if the property is not sold, he said he wanted to have the organization remain there.
“I think we have a good arrangement with NABOR,” Cole said.
“They’ve taken the burden of paying the electric bill, maintaining the property off the backs of the citizens and taxpayers of the county,” he added. “It seems to be a good operational item that we’re doing here. We’re making a problem out of something that isn’t a problem.”
Contact Daily News Business Editor Dusty Ricketts at 850-315-4448 or dricketts@nwfdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DustyRnwfdn.