"We weren't into having headstones somewhere, so in a lot of ways this is their memorial for us." Pan Godchaux said that to WJHG in June 2025, standing on land her mother, Pat Kellogg, had set aside for Walton County. That morning's dedication ceremony was for a building that did not exist yet.
The building is now close. Walton County Tourism lists the Kellogg Park Nature Center at 855 E. Nursery Rd. in Santa Rosa Beach as under construction. The county says it is "expected to be completed late this fall." The 1,800-square-foot hall is the newest part of the property, but the place itself is not new. The trail through the pine flatwoods and the bayside park at the end of it have been in public hands since 2003. The new building is there to explain what those two places have offered all along.
A Gift Measured in Agenda Items
Visit South Walton's account of the land is short. In 2003, the late Mrs. Pat Kellogg donated a 10-acre parcel to Walton County to be used as a wildlife nature preserve and nature center. The county's current project page lists the site at 9.75 acres.
The second half of that phrase, "and nature center," is the part that took two decades. The county's February 26, 2026 agenda report sets out the paper trail in order.
| Date | Step on the record |
|---|---|
| 2003 | Kellogg land donated for a preserve and nature center |
| April 27, 2021 | Board of County Commissioners approves an architecture and engineering firm for design and permitting |
| October 12, 2021 | Kimley-Horn task order for design, permitting and construction administration, $147,240 |
| September 27, 2022 | Change order to double the building footprint from 800 to 1,600 square feet, adding $22,380 |
| March 13, 2023 | Change order for added submittals required by the Development Order |
| November 13, 2023 | Change order to design a lift station, adding $11,320 |
| April 23, 2024 | Final permitting approved |
| August 27, 2024 | Board approves advertising for construction bids |
| April 7, 2025 | Bids opened; H&T Contractors LLC submits the responsive bid of $995,833.98 |
| January 26, 2026 | Notice to Proceed issued to H&T Contractors |
| February 26, 2026 | Notice of Commencement goes before the board |
The table shows how the time split. Eighteen years passed between the donation and the first design approval. Everything after that happened within about five years. The building also grew while it waited. The plan started at 800 square feet, doubled to 1,600 in 2022, and the county's current description calls it an 1,800-square-foot assembly-style building. A building whose planned size more than doubled before anyone broke ground is one the county kept rethinking. It did not simply sit on a shelf.
What "Late This Fall" Means in Contract Terms
Opening estimates for this project have slipped before. WJHG's June 2025 report said the center was expected to open in summer 2026. The county has since moved that to late fall, and the construction contract explains why that window is more reliable.
The contract was approved by the Board of County Commissioners on May 13, 2025. It requires H&T Contractors to reach substantial completion within 300 calendar days of the Notice to Proceed. Counting 300 days from January 26, 2026 lands on November 22, 2026. The contract defines substantial completion as the point when the project is 90 percent complete "and can be used for the purpose it was intended." Final completion follows within 30 calendar days of the county issuing its punch list.
The deadline has a penalty attached. The county will withhold $1,926 in liquidated damages for each calendar day substantial completion runs past the contract date. Unfinished punch-list items cost another $963 a day starting on the 31st day. The contract also allows day-for-day extensions for verified force majeure events, a list that includes hurricanes, storms and adverse weather.
So "late this fall" points to the second half of November for a usable building, with final touches possibly running into December. The contract does not set an opening day or a ribbon cutting, and no public announcement has given one. The image of the building's front on the county's project page carries a September 16, 2026 date in its file name.
The Parts Already Open
While the hall goes up, the land already offers two ways in.
- The Kellogg trail. Visit South Walton lists the trailhead at 776 East Nursery Road, about three miles north on County Highway 393. The trail is 0.3 miles, flat and paved, with parking, and it loops through pine flatwoods connected to Choctawhatchee Bay. The listing describes it as well suited to bird watching.
- Kellogg Bayside Park. The county's facility page lists its features as boat and canoe access, fishing, parking, picnic areas, picnic tables and water. WJHG's 2025 report adds bayside benches and a kayak launch.
Neither the county nor the tourism pages publish hours or dog rules specific to these sites, so check the posted signs before you bring a leash. Visit South Walton's general trail guidance asks for short leashes and cleaning up after pets.
These two places are the subject of the new building. The trail shows a pine flatwoods community meeting the bay, and the bayside park puts a kayak in the water where it meets. The nature center is designed to describe that stretch.
What the Building Adds to a Walk That Already Works
Brian Kellenberger, Walton County's Director of Beach Operations, described the interior to WJHG as an assembly-type space with pictures and interpretive kiosks. It is meant to cover "anything that will help us explain the story of the Choctawhatchee Bay throughout time."
The outdoor work ties the building to the trail people already use. According to the county's project page, the final phase includes:
- A paved parking area with dedicated ADA and bicycle spaces.
- ADA-accessible sidewalks from the nature center to a new 16-by-16-foot picnic pavilion at the existing trailhead.
- Three more 8-by-12-foot picnic pavilions spaced along the trail network, which runs through the property and links to Kellogg Bayside Park.
- New benches and educational signs along the way.
Most of that list makes the existing walk more comfortable and easier to read. The shade and seating come in 8-by-12 sections along the route, and the signs are built into the trail itself. The county describes its role as carrying forward the Kellogg family's vision of "inspiring children and adults alike to explore the natural environment."
Programming has an outline but no schedule yet. Kellenberger told WJHG the county plans to invite the school system to use the building. Any other nature-based organization that wants to run interpretive sessions or classes will be welcome as well. No operating organization or class calendar has been announced.
Two Addresses on One Road
One detail can confuse first-time visitors. The county lists the nature center at 855 E. Nursery Rd. Visit South Walton lists the trail at 776 East Nursery Road. Neither source explains the gap between the two Nursery Road numbers. Until the new parking area opens and signs go up, the 776 listing is the one tied to the trail parking that exists today.
Pan Godchaux told WJHG that hearing how visitors use the land "just warms my heart because it's the kind of stuff my mom wanted to know." Under the contract, the building meant to hold that story has until November 22 to reach the point where it "can be used for the purpose it was intended."
At VeraCore, we judge places on the bay side of Santa Rosa Beach by the same things the Kellogg family protected: pine flatwoods, a quiet launch, and a shoreline worth knowing well. If you would like a guide to this side of Choctawhatchee Bay, Work With VeraCore.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
