PANAMA CITY – In about a month, an iconic downtown building will be destroyed.
Shawn Selph, Panama City’s logistics director, said city staff is currently working through the details of a permit for Southport-based developer Break-N-Ground LLC to demolish the Marina Civic Center. He expects demolition to begin in about four weeks.
The center has been unused since it was severely damaged by Category 5 Hurricane Michael in October 2018.
“It’s kind of bittersweet that we’re losing a facility that meant a lot to the community, but at this point it was decided that this was the best way to move forward,” Selph said. “Right now, this facility just wouldn’t meet the needs of the city.”
He noted that the city had already opened a bid for the demolition of the center in April 2023. That bid closed in June 2023, with Break-N-Ground LLC submitting the lowest bid. The company submitted a bid for the demolition of the center in the amount of $498,780.
At the time, Panama City councilors were unsure what to do with the center and considered possibly saving the building.
When Break-N-Ground’s initial bid expired after 60 days, the company agreed to extend its bid – which it did three times in total, essentially giving city officials a year to finalize their plan for the center. Then in June, officials voted to officially award the contract to Break-N-Ground.
Although the commission considered ways to save the building, the estimated $33 million to $70 million cost of renovation was more than the city could afford. Their plan is to build a semi-permanent amphitheater on the center’s footprint while they explore fundraising options to build a future performing arts and events facility.
Selph said the facility would then be built either in place of the amphitheater or at another location within the city.
He also said city staff have been working since June to prepare the center for demolition by capping off utility lines and cutting electrical, water and sewer lines. He expects that process to be completed in about three weeks, and then Break-N-Ground will begin demolishing the building.
Review: “An obstacle to relocation”: Panama City Commission decides to demolish the Marina Civic Center
“Once that’s done, Break-N-Ground will be given a permit to proceed, and it will proceed,” Selph said. “The contract says there’s 120 days to perform. … I think we can do it faster, but we also want to be respectful and do it in a safe way.”
“It’s a big building and there are many different factors that contribute to its collapse.”
