JAY FELSBERG
Managing Editor

Jim Fowler’s Life in the Wild came closer to reality Wednesday, May 31, when a contract was signed for acquisition of 790 acres of land owned by the Holmes County Development Commission.

The property surrounds Smith Lake south of Bonifay, and if plans are completed, the area will be the location of a combination theme park, residential development, amphitheater and golf course. The Fowler project will take up about 1,200 acres, including land in Washington County.

Robert Dinkins, chairman of the Development Commission and Bill Roose of the Fowler Center for Wildlife Education, signed the contract, followed by presentation of $50,000 in “earnest money” by the Fowler Center. No total cost of purchase was announced at the signing.

Fowler was not present at the signing ceremony at the Chamber of Commerce office, but was on hand at a reception at the Waits Mansion in Bonifay honoring outgoing Chamber and Development Commission Executive Director Jyl Eickmann. The project has been underway for about three years. It was originally announced at the annual Chamber banquet in November 2004 in a jungle motif that included wolves from Seacrest Wolf Preserve in Washington County.

At that time Fowler said the project would be based around a combined wildlife preserve and adventure center, with a strong emphasis on education and research. The project included free-roaming wildlife habitat for species from around the world, with provisions for tourists to travel safely within the habitat.

Plans announced included a research center (including animal behavioral studies), educational facilities for students from kindergarten through college (including internships and work programs) and a conference center.
Very little information was provided since then, with officials citing the need for confidentiality as negotiations were underway. The annual Chamber dinner in November of 2005 was moved to January 2006 to provide a more detailed update, but none was provided at that time. Later brief updates noted that the sale of Prutimber property was a reason for the holdup of the project.

The Haas Center at the University of West Florida conducted a feasibility study that found that the project would not only have considerable economic impact on the area, but could act as a springboard for development of the tourist industry. Plans have changed since the original announcement. The project still includes Life in the Wild, but also includes other features, including a theme park. The total project will take up over 7,000 acres, according to developer Blue Dolphin II. Blue Dolphin II (www.bluedolphinII.com) has an office in the former Railroad Barbecue building on Waukesha Street in downtown Bonifay.

According to a new release from Blue Dolphin II faxed on Thursday, the corporation has “acquisitioned” thousands of acres of land in Northwest Florida for the Fowler project. Information about the project on the corporation’s website includes plans for a 15,000-seat amphitheater and a family oriented “Celebrity Coast Theme Park.” Blue Dolphin II founder Barbara Farris told Channel 13 news that the project will be done in phases. Groundbreaking for Life in the Wild will be in about two years once all permits are in place. According to the Blue Dolphin II news release, “visitors will have the option to spend the night(s) in the park in luxurious accommodations uniquely designed to look like Tarzan’s tree house.” This project would be done in cooperation with the Fowler Center and Parks and Wildlife Services, Inc.

The second phase planned is the amphitheater. The facility would be host to about 30-40 acts a year.

The theme park will be built in about three-to-four years and would include sections named after different celebrities, as well as amusement rides. Farris said the development would include “affordable housing developments and numerous shopping venues.” According to the news release “surrounding developments will be engineered to retain the beauty of wild Florida.”Blue Dolphin II officials said that the project is expected to bring about 2,000 jobs to the area. According to the Bleu Dolphin II website, the corporation “spent a year and millions of its own money to secure this location and opportunity.”

According to the website, the property includes about three miles of frontage on Interstate 10, two miles of frontage on Hwy. 79, three miles of frontage on Douglas Ferry Road, and about four miles on Homestead Road. According to the website, Blue Dolphin II has more than 10,000 acres of land under its umbrella.
According to the Blue Dolphin II website, Baskerville-Donovan would do engineering and design, and Daher Construction would be general contractor.

County dignitaries present included Seriff Dennis Lee, Tax Collector Harry Bell, and Property Assessor Otis Corbin. Bonifay dignitaries included Mayor Fred Howell, Councilmen Richard Woodham, Roger Brooks, and Micah McCormick, and Fire Chief Shay McCormick. State Rep. Don Brown was also present.