Walton County Commemorates Grayton Beach Parking, Restroom Facilities

WALTON COUNTY, Fla. - June 30 – The grand opening of the Grayton Beach Municipal Parking Facility was commemorated with a ribbon cutting ceremony attended by members of the Walton County Board of County Commissioners and Walton County Tourism and Beach Operations departments. Due to inclement weather, the groundbreaking event for the Grayton Beach Community Center/Restroom Facility occurred virtually.

The completed $12.9 million Grayton Beach Municipal Parking Facility — also known as Grayton Central — features a 1,700-square-foot, multi-level transit facility with 204 parking spaces, including dedicated areas for ADA-accessible vehicles, electric cars, low-speed vehicles and bicycles.

“This property was bought in August of 2016,” said District Five County Commissioner Tony Anderson. “We finally got everything together to finish it, and it’s turned out great. This is the future of South Walton.”

The facility also includes restrooms, connections to the multi-use path and a complimentary beach tram service. Beginning at Grayton Central, the Grayton Beach Tram transports residents and visitors to a drop-off point that will soon be the Grayton Community Center/Restroom Facility at 44 Hotz Ave.

Once completed, the 1,600-square-foot community center will house a local information station, restrooms, an observation deck, a boardwalk to the beach and access to the beach tram. Construction is expected to take about 12 months, with a total cost of $6.3 million.

“[The neighborhood] sat down and talked about what the vision of the Grayton Beach community [is],” Brian Kellenberger, director of beach operations and interim county administrator, said. “We’ve completely connected the beach through this community center/restroom building and the entertainment district of Grayton Beach.”

These projects are funded by the Tourist Development Tax, a 5-percent tax collected on short-term rentals six months or less in south Walton County. Residents do not pay the bed tax unless they are taking a “staycation” in a local rental property or accommodation.

For more information and project updates, please visit waltoncountyfltourism.com/projects, or contact Beach Operations at (850) 267-4578.

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