PANAMA CITY, Fla.- Friday night’s town hall meeting on the future of Panama City had dozens of attendees, but for those who weren’t able to go, another meeting was held Saturday morning at city hall to recap the information.
Citizens came out to hear how all of their ideas and input throughout several town hall meetings, design sessions, and group discussions will be used to rebuild Panama City.
Key items in the draft included rebuilding downtown with more housing, expanding waterfront access, and recreating the tree canopy across the city.
Increased housing has been a big concern for residents and one of the town planners working on the reconstruction draft says those concerns are central to the plan.
“There are so many sights that lend themselves to housing. We have to really cultivate the courage and confidence among developers who are ready to build here in ways that are charming and fit in with the historic character of the town,” said Victor Dover, a town planner with Dover, Kohl, and partners.
The draft is expected to be completed in the next couple of months. City officials said they hope the final presentation of the long-term recovery plan will happen around September.
