Florida is poised to spend $83.3 million to buy 4 acres in the Panhandle from a real estate investor and campaign donor, prompting concerns among conservationists who argue the state should prioritize precious land-buying dollars elsewhere.
The landowners looking to sell the property are Pointe Mezzanine LLC and Pointe Resort LLC, both of which are registered in state corporate filings to Robert Guidry, a Louisiana business owner. Guidry is a prominent donor to state politicians and local officials in the Panhandle county where his property is located.
The purchase, expedited this summer when lawmakers added last-minute language to the budget prioritizing the parcel, would expand beach access and protect it from development. But experts say its conservation value doesn’t justify the price tag, nor the sudden leapfrogging of other key environmental projects.
If the purchase is approved, Guidry’s companies could make over 10 times what they paid for the land.
“It’s a bitter pill to swallow, and a great example of why state land-buying should be governed by transparent, accountable processes like the Florida Forever Program, that taxpayers and land owners can both have confidence in,” said Julie Wraithmell, executive director of Audubon Florida.
The Destin land is not on the state’s Florida Forever priority list of properties that experts have identified as crucial to advancing the state’s conservation goals. But in records made public Tuesday, state environmental staff recommended buying the land and underscored how it provides new recreational opportunities.
Gov. Ron DeSantis, Attorney General James Uthmeier, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia are scheduled to vote on the purchase Tuesday during a meeting of the Florida Cabinet in Tallahassee.
The land
The proposal to buy the 4 acres dates back to June, when lawmakers were on their final day of state budget talks, according to Politico Florida. Senate negotiators added language mandating that the Destin purchase be a top priority, ahead of other conservation projects designed to expand a wildlife corridor for endangered species to roam unimpeded by development.
Sen. Jay Trumbull, a Panama City Republican whose district includes the Destin property, told Politico Florida that he had pushed for the addition.
“This is a more unique parcel that could have development on it — you could have 100 condos on it,” Trumbull told the publication in July. “Or you could have 300 families on it on any given Tuesday for people who don’t have the ability to own a house on the Gulf.”
Trumbull did not respond to the Tampa Bay Times’ phone calls and texts requesting comment.
Compared to the land projects it superseded in priority, the 4-acre plot is in a highly developed coastal area, raising questions among conservationists about its overall ecological value and its durability to withstand hurricanes.
Wraithmell questioned why taxpayer funds are being directed to “erosion-prone urban Okaloosa County beach” and not larger expanses of endangered panther habitat in Southwest Florida or watersheds supporting springs.
Clay Henderson, an environmental lawyer and author of “Forces of Nature,” a book considered to be the definitive history of Florida land conservation, said the original budget language that prioritized the Destin land proposal never specified that the price tag would be tens of millions of dollars.
“I’m at a loss to recall another property purchased for $20 million per acre,” Henderson said. “The Legislature and (the Florida Department of Environmental Protection) have moved this 4-acre site to the front of the line to the detriment of every other important conservation site in Florida endangered by development.”
The sandy land sits near Destin’s Norriego Point. It appears to have three docks and is surrounded by water on two sides, with Destin Harbor to the east and a pass that empties into the gulf on the western shore. Next to the property is a city park on one side and the upscale, gated East Pass Towers condominium complex on the other, property records show.
The purchase of the 4 acres would expand the adjacent, city-owned Norriego Point Beach Access and Park to about 16 acres on the coastal peninsula. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the city of Destin are working to complete a $12 million project to bolster the existing city park, according to the Cabinet agenda.
Alexandra Kuchta, a spokesperson for the state environmental agency, said the department was directed to acquire the property to “expand public access” by expanding the adjacent park.
“Once acquired, the park will total nearly 16 acres, offering beachfront access, more than 100 parking spaces and expanded opportunities for boating, fishing and swimming,” Kuchta said in a statement.
Pointe Mezzanine and Pointe Resort bought the Destin land in 2016 and 2017 for nearly $8 million, according to the agenda outlining the proposal.
The last-minute addition to the state budget said Florida could use existing appraisals completed over the past year.
The two firms that conducted the appraisals for the Destin property, St. Petersburg based-Urban Realty Solutions and Marr Appraisal LLC, have been on the state’s approved appraiser list since at least 2023, according to Kuchta. Urban Realty appraised the property at $83.3 million, and Marr Appraisal listed the value at $83.7 million, Kuchta said.
The landowner
Guidry, the man listed as a representative for the two LLCs that own the property, is a Louisiana energy and real estate magnate who lists his business address in Harvey, a suburb of New Orleans.
Guidry was implicated in a bribery scandal involving former Louisiana Gov. Edwin Edwards in the early 1990s.
According to court records, Guidry testified that he paid officials more than $1 million for a riverboat gambling license. Edwards eventually served prison time.
Guidry in recent months has become a top donor to Okaloosa County officials governing where the Destin property is located.
Since last summer, Guidry and businesses connected to him have written checks totaling more than $35,000 for candidates for the school board, sheriff and county commission, records show. Those local contests don’t usually draw big-dollar donations, and Guidry was among the top three donors for each of the candidates he supported.
In recent years, Guidry and companies registered to him have also donated more than $400,000 to state political committees, including those for DeSantis, Uthmeier and the Republican Party of Florida.
DeSantis’ office did not respond to emails requesting comment. Guidry also did not respond to text messages and phone calls Thursday and Friday.
Asked about the proposal and the campaign contributions, a spokesperson for Uthmeier said in a statement that the 4 acres are “among the most beautiful coastal lands in the state.”
“Attorney General Uthmeier grew up in Destin, and he knows that conserving this land and ensuring it remains undeveloped will be a significant victory for the community, increasing public access and protecting a sanctuary for wildlife, fishermen, and those who enjoy Florida’s coastal heritage,” spokesperson Jeremy Redfern wrote.
