At a standing room only Okeechobee County Commission meeting held on July 9th, the County Commission unanimously approved a proposal presented by the partnership of Elite Resorts and Guy Harvey Outpost to renovate and expand the facilities at the county’s Okee-Tantie Campgrounds and Marina on the western shores of Lake Okeechobee.
Presently the county park, one of the few parks within the containment berms of Lake Okeechobee, has fallen onto tough times and remains mostly under-utilized. After the park suffered extensive damage during the 2004 hurricane season there were insufficient funds to restore the park. In subsequent years, to support the park the county relied on revenues from RV space rentals and contributions from the county’s Sales Tax surtax to maintain operations. As rental revenues and sale tax dollars fell due to the down turn in the economy, most of the park was shuttered. In the fall of 2014 the county issued an RFP, Request For Proposal, seeking input and solutions from qualified developers to revitalize the park.
Of the two respondents to the county’s RFP, Elite Resorts Managers LLC of Salt Springs, FL was the only respondent to put forth a proposal. As a Florida based developer and manager of amenity-rich RV resorts in Florida and Connecticut, Elite Resorts presented to the Board a comprehensive plan to develop Okee-Tantie Campground and Marina as a year round, RV based destination resort and marina that will feature numerous outdoor activities including RV hookups, camping, boating, fishing, and other activities. After an initial presentation to the Commission on March 12, 2015, the County and Elite Resorts entered into a Letter of Understanding and worked together to assemble an overall development plan that was beneficial to the county, its residents, and the general public.
During this workshop period a new player entered the picture in the form of Guy Harvey Outposts. Guy Harvey Outposts, a waterfront destination and outdoor adventure developer associated with Guy Harvey, the world renowned marine wildlife artist, scientist, and conservationist, joined Elite Resorts to form a partnership to redevelop Okee-Tantie into a destination resort. At the July 9th meeting of the Okeechobee County Commission their redevelopment plan was presented and accepted by the County Commission and motioned forward to a Letter of Intent.
The overall plan consists of:
- 370 new or rebuilt RV pads
- Construction of 60 new cabins
- Renovation of the existing restaurant
- Construction of a new marina Tiki bar
- Construction of a 75-slip boat storage facility
- Construction of 40 additional boat slips and
dockage - Expansion of auxiliary buildings
- Construction of an amphitheater
- Construction of a 10,000 sq-ft club lodge
- Construction of a splash pad, swimming pool,
and sport amenities - Development of a beach lagoon
The proposed redevelopment plan is to be implemented in three phases with Phase-1 scheduled to begin construction sometime around July of 2016 and open for business in July of 2017. Phase 2 & 3 are expected to be completed within a five year period thereafter. Phase-1, the most work intensive phase, will focus on overall site preparation; renovation of the existing restaurant, existing RV pads and existing boat slips; and the construction of the Tiki bar, club lodge, 60 cabins, boat storage facility, amphitheater, and ancillary facilities. Phase-2 will focus on expanding the marina with the addition of 40-slips and dockage along the Kissimmee River as well as the construction of additional RV pads. Phase-3 will entail the development of the beach and lagoon area, eco-tent camp sites, and a new Sheriff ’s substation.
Funding for the project is expected to exceed $ 19.5 Million dollars and will be privately financed by the development team with Okeechobee County contributing no funding or bonds. In return the developers are seeking a 50-year lease with a 49-year renewal option. For the county, it anticipates a revenue stream consisting of tourism tax dollars associated with RV site rentals, county property taxes and fire protection assessments paid by the Leasee, and annual lease payments based on a sliding scale of the resort’s gross receipts. In addition the County will see an increase in ancillary revenue associated with secondary sales taxes revenues generated by visiting tourists and payroll taxes associated with the anticipated 160 new long term jobs the project will create.
The road to the Grand Opening will not be an easy for being situated within the Herbert Hoover Dike system, the various governments’ regulatory approvals and hurdles to surmount will be substantial, but the county and its citizens seem to be onboard with the project. Still some critical details such as access to the existing low-water launching ramps for the area’s airboaters as well as general public access and usage need to be ironed out. Fortunately all parties want this project to succeed so there appears to be an open channel of communication taking place.
Once completed, the Guy Harvey Outpost – Okeechobee will be a spectacular resource for Lake Okeechobee and a must see destination for RVers, eco-campers, boaters, fisherman, and outdoor enthusiasts. With Guy Harvey’s attention to detail and his brand of eco-education and awareness, the facility will be a wonderful experience for the whole family.
