Reconstruction and book signings in this week’s 850 Good News

BAY COUNTY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - On Fridays, we like to take a look at all of the positive news that happened this week.

The 400 block of Grace Avenue will be getting a makeover thanks to a local family-owned business known as John Fifteen Five. The business looks to update different areas in Panama City.

John Fifteen Five officials say they hope this first project, now called “The Grace District” will be an area people can live, eat, and play.

“Because we want to create a walkable community, which everybody loves,” Lacy Counts with John Fifteen Five said. “The space that we just purchased is about 7,000 square feet, and so we’re looking for local artists, chefs, musicians, that really want to create something unique with us.”

Officials hope to have the project finished by the end of summer.

Over in Mexico Beach, the city’s largest motel is being reconstructed after it was destroyed during Hurricane Michael. The El Governor is a Mexico Beach landmark.

The original hotel had water damage up to the second floor.

The rebuild has taken longer than expected, but officials are excited to soon have the motel back in the city.

“We are glad that it is coming along, and it is going to reopen, and you can see definite progress right now, so we are just happy that the date is coming,” El Governor Motel Manager Wylie Petty said. “If it opens sooner than that then everybody is going to be ecstatic just like we are.”

Owners hope to re-open the El Governor within the next year.

Four local authors are celebrating Bay County history with a book signing.

The books were written by Nancy Hudson, Robert Hurst, Ken Redd, and Willie Spears.

Each author covers a wide range of topics from in and around Northwest Florida.

If you missed Thursday’s signing, there will be another one on Saturday at the Bay County Historical Museum from 10 a.m. until noon.

That wraps up this weeks 850 Good News.

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