Man in the Sea Museum library project delayed

PANAMA CITY BEACH, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A public library project at the Man in the Sea Museum has been delayed after the contractor hired in September repeatedly delayed the work, museum staff said.

The library project was supposed to be finished by December 2025. The project would bring decades-old books and diving history to the world’s oldest dive museum.

The St. Joe Community Foundation awarded the museum a grant early last year to help fund the project.

Museum staff said they have moved on to a different contractor and are putting costs on a credit card.

“The Man in the Sea Museum is a pride and joy of Bay County and everyone has nothing but great things to say since they’ve seen the improvements over the past few years and that’s why its kind of heartfelt to see this project almost fail and us fall behind on it because of somebody else’s wrongdoing,” said Steve Mulholland, executive director of Man in the Sea Museum. “But I promise people we will keep this history alive for Bay County no matter what we have to do.”

Staff blame the original contractor for the delays. The contractor did not respond to a request for comment.

The Man in the Sea Museum staff are now asking for public donations to help get the project completed. The museum’s goal is to have the library open by June.

Mulholland said anyone with suggestions on how to move forward or who would like to make a donation can reach out to the museum.

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