Big Names Coming to Bigger Destin Commons

The future of one of Destin’s most popular retail hubs took shape Thursday night. Executives from Destin Commons appeared before the Okaloosa County Planning Commission to seek approval for its second phase, expected to break ground this spring. Approval was granted by the commission in less than 20 minutes and recommendations on the development were forwarded to the County Commission which will have final say in issuing the project’s development order.

The second phase of the Commons will see the popular outdoor shopping mall moving southwest toward the intersection of U.S. 98 and Danny Wuerffel Way. Plans include the construction of more than 160,000 square feet of additional retail and restaurant space, a four-story parking garage and a six-story building that will house a 192-room hotel and convention space.

Darin Grigg, general manager of Destin Commons, said the second phase of the project will be anchored by the hotel and four “high profile” restaurants. Grigg said the names of the restaurants and the hotelier could not be released and added that it could be as late as May before a tenant list for the second phase is released.

He was able to confirm that they were “big names.” “This is going to be a thrill for all of us to see this take off. It’s going to be a really spectacular presentation,” he said.

The beginning of the expansion will be the end of the road for at least one Commons mainstay. During a quasi-judicial hearing for the second phase of HarborWalk Village Monday night, Legendary CEO Peter Bos told the Destin City Council that the Destin Commons clock tower would soon be demolished as the shopping center prepared to begin moving dirt for it’s second phase.

Legendary and Aventura, Fla.-based Turnberry Associates co-developed Destin Commons and opened the shopping center in 2003. Since that time, the Commons has become one of Destin’s most popular destinations and last year the shopping center saw more than 11 million visitors, Bos said at the hearing. When adjusted for employees and other regular visitors, traffic at the Commons in 2007 was between 6 and 7 million.

If approved by the county commission, construction is expected to begin this spring and Grigg said a large portion of the shopping center’s southernmost parking lots will be permanently closed, bringing into use the shopping center’s brand new multi-deck parking garage which opened late last year.

Grigg said Phase Two is expected to be completed in Fall 2009.

Published on Saturday, February 16, 2008