The U.S 98 Public Development and Environment study is near completion. Tuesday evening The Florida Department of Transportation held a public hearing, one of the last steps in the phase.
PANAMA CITY BEACH Breakfast Point East soon might become part of the Panama City Beach Tourist Development Council s taxing district.
During a TDC meeting last week, officials agreed to ask the Bay County Commission to consider expanding the TDC s taxing district to include land in the unincorporated portion of Bay County that surrounds the Panama City Beach Sports Complex.
That would let the group collect a 5% bed tax at the upcoming Homewood Suites by Hilton, as well as any future housing complexes or hotels developed by the St. Joe Company in the area. The Panama City Beach Sports Park has been a catalyst for additional development on the east end of Panama City Beach, Phil Chester, a member of the TDC and Panama City Beach City Council, wrote in an email. It is important that the hotels and vacation rentals that will be developed in Breakfast Point East are included in the tourist development taxing district to help fund all of the TDC s activities.