MILTON — Santa Rosa County will submit three locations for possible inclusion in Gulf Power’s industrial site certification program.
The utility launched its Industrial Site Evaluation and Certification Program earlier this month. It is designed to partially develop vacant industrial properties to make it easier for businesses to locate there. It is the first site certification program in Florida.
Florida’s biggest competitors in economic development — Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi —already have successful site certification programs.
“It’s a great thing to have a company investing in creating jobs not only in our county, but across the region,” Santa Rosa County Commissioner Don Salter said at a meeting last week.
Commissioners have selected three locations to submit for the certification program: the Northwest Florida Industrial Park off Interstate 10; a 160-acre parcel off Jeff Yates Road and the Whiting Aviation Park at Whiting Field.
Gulf Power will pay half the initial cost for cities and counties to submit a site for the evaluation. Santa Rosa’s portion of the submission fee for the three sites will be $8,250.
Private landowners wanting to submit sites for the program must pay the full $5,500 per property.
Gulf Power has partnered with McCallum Sweeney Consulting of South Carolina to develop the certification program.
The deadline to submit a letter of intent to have a property certified is May 3. Applicants then will receive their site evaluation materials the week of May 19. The deadline to submit the evaluation application is June 28.
Representatives from McCallum Sweeney Consulting and Gulf Power will visit sites the week of July 28, and applicants will receive notification whether they can continue in the program the week of Sept. 8. Property owners allowed continue will have until September 2014 to complete their certification application.
A decision on whether a property will be certified will be announced during the fourth quarter of next year or sooner if the application is received early.