BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) — Steps are continuing to be made as to the St. Andrews School transitions into a community center.
In the past several months, the St. Andrew schools have belonged to the Bay County– now the lease between the county and Panama City has been finalized.
Bay County leaders said the school will be leased to the city of Panama City for a dollar a year, and will also be taking over any payments for future repairs to the school.
The plan is for the school to be transformed into a historic community center.
Bay County Commissioner, Philip “Griff” Griffitts says this is a great thing for the St. Andrews community and that the center will serve multiple purposes.
“I think we will start work right away to get it back to where we can start having meetings in it if its small community meetings in it or public forums. The building will be used for a variety of issues and we’ll start work right away to get it back into that livable condition,” said Griffitts.
There is no exact timeline for when the center will be completed.
“I think this a great thing, you don’t want to see it lose its persona and its historical value. We think the citizens down there, the St. Andrews Bay Waterfront Partnership, along with the county and the city, it has been a great working relationship and it will continue that way. I look forward to seeing what the future brings for that center.” said Griffitts.