Santa Rosa County, FL (Newsradio 92.3) -- Santa Rosa County commissioners heard a competing vision Thursday for the old courthouse building in Milton, even as they approved moving forward with negotiations for a housing development.
The board unanimously approved Bayou District Consulting LLC as the successful bidder for the Courthouse on Caroline Street project, authorizing negotiations with the county administrator and attorneys. The request-for-proposals process sought development plans for the historic building.
But during public forum, survivor advocate Rhonda Fisher urged commissioners to reconsider, proposing instead a community center that would serve people in recovery and provide recreational facilities for residents.
"I have a vision," Fisher told commissioners. She serves on the Circuit One Human Trafficking Task Force and argued that additional housing would "bring more traffickers and victims" to the area.
Fisher's proposal includes indoor basketball, racquetball, and pickleball courts, a community garden, job training classes, and affordable rental space for small local businesses. She emphasized the facility would be "for the community by the community."
A coalition of nonprofits is backing the alternative plan, including Pensacola Dream Center, Magdalene's, Survivor-Led Solutions, and Blessing Boutique. Fisher claimed the project wouldn't require county funding, relying instead on community volunteers and donations.
Chairman Colten Wright invited Fisher and her coalition to meet with commissioners individually to discuss the proposal in more detail.
The consent agenda approval allows county staff to begin formal negotiations with Bayou District Consulting, but no final decision has been made on the courthouse's future use. The county must still review and approve any development agreement before moving forward.