Historic Downtown

For all the damage it wrought as a Category 5 storm in 2018, Hurricane Michael has spurred the redevelopment of Downtown Panama City, work that had been talked about for decades. Contemplated is the remaking of the City Marina, foreground, and the replacing of the Marina Civic Center with a new convention or performing arts venue.

SURG ence

Reinvestment in Downtown Panama City is paying off

STORY BY HANNAH BURKE // PHOTO BY MICHAEL BOOINI

FOUR YEARS AFTER A CATEGORY 5 HURRICANE RIPPED THROUGH THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN PANAMA CITY, CATHERINE F. SHORES, AN OWNER OF SEVERAL BUILDINGS ALONG HARRISON AVENUE, PEERS OUTSIDE HER OFFICE WINDOW AT A SCENE THAT FEELS SURREAL.

Parking spaces are full. Groups file into the brewpub next door to grab a bite on their lunch breaks, and a block over, construction workers wipe sweat from their brows as they install a new cobblestone street and sidewalks.

It’s a level of activity not seen by Shores since the arrival of the Panama City Mall in 1972, when merchants bolted from the historic center of town.

Then came Hurricane Michael, a tragedy that could have been a death sentence for Downtown and its hangerson, but was instead a call to action.

“The storm was the catalyst for change,” said Shores, who became chairwoman of the Downtown Panama City Improvement Board (DIB) shortly before the devastation. “Real estate changed hands, and properties got into the grasp of more aggressive investors and people who want to see Downtown thrive.”

Most of that investment, she said, has been local. Shores believes Michael spawned a new sense of community among both residents and city officials who, post-hurricane, rallied to preserve and rebuild a significant piece of their hometown’s history.

Shores said the DIB, an economic development organization devoted to recruiting investment and marketing Downtown’s potential by hosting events,

The Panama City Center for the Arts, wrapped in butterflies, is home to art classes and exhibits. It operates under the auspices of the Bay Arts Alliance.

PHOTOS BY MICHAEL BOOINI Above: Harrison’s Kitchen & Bar, a new eatery on Panama City’s waterfront. Below: Jayson Kretzer, the executive director of the Bay Arts Alliance and a member of the Downtown Improvement Board, is spearheading a public art campaign that is turning blank walls and unadorned street corners into spots devoted to big, whimsical art.

promoting small businesses and engaging in infrastructure enhancement projects, is “excited about the progress, the future and the ability to do even more.”

While that progress has been slow and many projects remain incomplete, Shores believes Downtown is recovering. The area now boasts almost 50 points of interest, ranging from fitness studios and sporting goods suppliers to ethnic food markets and locally owned boutiques.

Shores said it is the goal of the DIB to create for Downtown a new identity centered around art.

At the heart of Downtown is the Panama City Center for the Arts, a gallery and venue for mixed-media art classes, workshops and special events. Operated by DIB board member and Bay Arts Alliance executive director Jayson Kretzer, the center has launched the Panama City Mural Trail, which is turning blank walls and unadorned street corners into places devoted to big, whimsical art.

Look around, and you’ll find there’s no shortage of art galleries featuring the work of local artists.

“I remember when I was little, I used to love going down to the gallery owned by Mary Ola Miller, where she worked all day, every day,” Shores said. “Now, it’s her granddaughter who owns that building, and she’s renovating the space and turning it into this incubator for artists in our community. I just think that’s so cool.”

Too, plans for a new event center are underway, which will allow for even more creative happenings such as the annual Flluxe Arts Festival. Organized by the Bay Arts Alliance, Flluxe invites visitors to take in the work of muralists, projection artists, street painters and musicians, and the DIB is already planning new events in the same vein for 2023.

Interviewed in June, Shores said renovations to Downtown’s historic Martin Theatre were expected to kick off within the next six months. The theater, which was flooded when Michael peeled back its roof, has been gutted and will undergo a “deep repair” before it begins hosting plays in 2023.

Meanwhile, Downtown Panama City is already a magnet for music lovers. Another economic development agency,

Top photo at left: The Martin Theatre took on massive amounts of water when Hurricane Michael peeled back its roof. Repairs expected to restore the building to operating condition are to be complete in 2023. Bottom photo at left: Local musician Will Thompson frequently appears as a performer in concerts downtown. Middle: History Class, a brewpub, both represents new investment in Downtown Panama City and a business that embraces and showcases the city’s past. The Market at St. Andrews, above, attracts gardeners, farmers and crafters every Saturday throughout the year.

Destination Panama City, has launched “Downtown After Dark,” a series of outdoor concerts that have featured famed country music singer Drake White and the soulrock band JJ Grey & Mofro.

“Those concerts have been a huge boon for our restaurants and shops, and we’re happy to see people bringing in some larger scale events,” Shores said.

Local talent regularly lays down some licks at House of Henry, an authentic Irish pub and eatery, or Millie’s, a Southern restaurant beloved for its laid-back atmosphere, courtyard seating and outdoor concerts.

Shores is excited to see more space for al fresco entertainment open up when Harrison Avenue’s streetscape project is completed. She said that work, which was underway before the hurricane, was “put on pause while we were getting our feet back under ourselves,” but is now progressing. It entails new cobblestone streets, wide sidewalks shaded by oak trees and added outdoor seating.

Shores touts the Panama City Farmers Market, held Saturdays at McKenzie Park where crowds gather to purchase fresh produce, locally produced meats, handmade art and home goods.

She also recommends stopping by History Class Brewing Company, a brewpub specializing in local craft beers, small plates and storytelling.

“History Class has been by far the biggest restaurant/ bar success to come out of downtown,” Shores said. “People love it, and one of its owners, Allan Branch, has been instrumental in bringing about the positive changes we’ve seen down here.”

For Shores, it’s compassionate people like Branch and Kretzer — and passionate patrons and customers — who will restore Harrison Avenue as the town center.

“We really do feel like a family,” Shores said. “I’ve learned I’m not the only one with a heart for Downtown.

“I’ve had dealings in real estate and property management. I know I could get more money for barebones warehouses in other places than I do for these storefronts. But, this is where I want to be. This is what I believe in.”