Santa Rosa advances land swap talks with U.S. Navy

Santa Rosa County has moved to Phase II of planning for a potential land swap to acquire the nearly 700‑acre NOLF Santa Rosa and has hired Moffatt & Nichol to study its development potential, supported by a $125,000 state Defense Reinvestment Grant and a $37,500 county match.

Santa Rosa County is advancing plans to explore acquiring Navy Outlying Field Santa Rosa for redevelopment. The county board voted to move from Phase I to Phase II of an engineering study and contracted Moffatt & Nichol to examine development potential. The idea, first made public in 2023, would convert the nearly 700‑acre site in East Milton into a large industrial park aimed at supporting economic growth. County officials say discussions with the U.S. Navy remain preliminary and that any transfer would require Navy agreement. Current details: - The county contracted engineering firm Moffatt & Nichol to conduct Phase II work examining development potential for NOLF Santa Rosa. - Funding for the next phase includes a $125,000 Defense Reinvestment Grant from the state of Florida and a $37,500 county match. - NOLF Santa Rosa is a nearly 700‑acre parcel in East Milton near State Road 87 and Interstate 10, close to existing county industrial parks. - Officials describe negotiations as preliminary and say the Navy must approve any deal; county staff have met with Navy personnel and expect another meeting soon. - County leaders are considering multiple negotiation scenarios, including providing infrastructure or runway improvements at other outlying fields instead of a direct acreage-for-acreage swap. - County economic staff have discussed the site’s potential to support industrial tenants, noted estimates of employment impacts as high as around 2,000 jobs, and mentioned space for recreation within a development plan. Summary: The Phase II study is expected to produce a master plan showing land use options, roads and potential lot sizes to guide further negotiation and planning. County officials plan additional meetings with Navy representatives while exploring several trade and infrastructure-improvement scenarios. The timeline for any property transfer or final agreement is undetermined at this time.