BUNNELL, Fla. – Standing on the mound of tilled dirt where the new City of Bunnell Administration and Police Department Complex will one day stand to deliver her remarks, Bunnell Mayor Catherine Robinson represents three decades of service to her hometown. It’s a community where her father served before her, as the Superintendent of Flagler Schools for 18 years.
Serving on the Bunnell City Commission since 1994, Robinson has been a steady hand, helping steer the city through myriad changes and challenges during her time in office. As mayor, she is helping oversee $88 million in capital projects including a desperately needed $29 million waste water treatment plant.
Embarking on several legacy projects with two groundbreakings that Monday morning, Robinson is thrilled that the City of Bunnell’s administration will now have a permanent home on the expanding Commerce Parkway.
Situated just steps away from the recently completed state-of-the-art Flagler County Sheriff’s Operations Center, and the future home of the new multiuse ‘Nexus Center’, which will house the Bunnell library and other community-oriented agencies, not only is the new Bunnell administrative complex permanent, it’s prominence reflects the respect due the county seat.
“With the road and the building, they are legacy projects. It doesn’t matter whether I’m reelected or not at the next election because what will happen is these projects will go and be there regardless of who’s on the board,” Robinson said. “I’m so proud of my commission. Through this 3-year process they’ve stayed focused and stayed positive about the end goal and that’s really important.”
Optimistic about the future, Bunnell Police Chief David Brannon II, sees the projects as a step in the right direction for the area, which has made great strides since the 2018 hiring of Dr. Alvin Jackson as the city’s manager.
Appointed a little over two years ago, Brannon has continued the positive momentum in Bunnell, making notable changes to the police department by upgrading equipment, staffing the agency, and boosting morale after taking the helm in 2022.
Set for completion in August 2025, Brannon is looking forward to the permanent location for the police department that will bring a sense of stability and pride to his officers.
“It’s an amazing day. It’s a big leap forward in our infrastructure for the city to have a centralized location for our community to come and conduct their business within city hall or with the police department. We’re very excited about today,” said Brannon.
“City halls are traditionally a focus point of a city. As Bunnell continues to grow in both population and commercial growth, the city hall provides that center point for folks to come and get their permits, to pay bills, to make a police report or speak with a detective. A lot of city services will be offered there.”
A portion of the projects were funded by the state legislature, and Mayor Robinson expressed her gratitude to Governor Ron DeSantis, Florida House Speaker Paul Renner and Florida Senator Travis Hutson for making the county seat’s needs a priority, during the groundbreaking ceremony on April 1, 2024.
“It’s been huge,” she said of the public-private partnerships forged to see the projects to fruition.
“If they had not taken this project on with the road, we would not be standing here today to have another groundbreaking. Governor DeSantis did not red line our projects. Renner and Hutson advocated for us and stood firm with us to make this happen, and I’m eternally grateful for those two and the county. The county, Faith, one of the engineers, went to bat for us, saw it’s a great project,” said Robinson.
“It’s the coordinated effort of all these folks that helped us with this road today. Carol Oare and her company donated private funds of $1.4 million dollars to get this project started some 20 plus years ago,“ shared Robinson. “DOT was involved, Congressman Mica was involved, so it’s just a wonderful coordination.”
The new facilities will now be easily accessible to residents and visitors utilizing the bypass under construction along Commerce Parkway which will extend for 1.7 miles and connect to U.S. 1 upon completion. The highly anticipated roadway will help relieve congestion within Bunnell’s downtown core according to Flagler County Engineer Hamid Tabassian, P.E.
Heavily involved in seeing the bypass roadway project to fruition on behalf of the Oare Family, Charlie Faulkner of Faulker & Associates, was pleased by the collaboration between the state, county and city as the region works to increase economic development opportunities.
“It is very exciting. This will be a monumental moment in the history of the City of Bunnell,” said Faulkner. “It was a team effort. Everybody pulled in the same direction. It was actually exciting, fun, to feel like you’re doing something very positive for the community.”
“This is a big day for the City of Bunnell and Flagler County,” agreed Board of County Commissioners Chair Andy Dance. “I think the most important part for Flagler Central Commerce Parkway is going to be that it will open up commercial and light industrial property for development.”
“The Oare Family did donate money and the right of way. All of that important to make it a viable project. They played an instrumental part in making sure this project got started,” said Dance.
For Mayor Robinson it’s a chance to leave her city better than she found it the day she took office by investing in the future.
“This is a huge day in Bunnell because the road project is 20 plus years in the making and the building is 3 years in the making. I’m excited for both, but the road project is just over the top,” declared Robinson.
“Charlie Faulkner was around in the beginning and then it kind of got lost along the way. Then he picked up the gavel and ran with it and has been the coordinator to make sure things were moving well. He’s just done a wonderful job for us.”
When asked if she could have envisioned projects of this magnitude when first taking office, Robinson was candid about the recent successes.
“I had no idea. I think back and we were a tiny thinking people and I was thinking I’ve probably been through 15 city managers, but the one we have today, Alvin Jackson, he is a mover and a shaker. He is all about economic development, he knows the right people, he networks, he is very persuasive in a very positive way and I have to give him so much credit because he has led and directed how we are here today with this project and all these legacy projects,” she said.
Unable to attend, Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner offered his congratulations to the communities on the milestone day.
“The groundbreaking of Commerce Parkway in Bunnell ushers in a new era of opportunities, linking Flagler County residents to enhanced business development and creating an interconnected future that brings greater prosperity,” said Speaker Renner. “I am proud of the work of our local and state leaders coming together to make this project a reality.”
“This is a much needed project,” said FDOT District Five Director of Transporation Development Jack Adkins. “Flagler County’s one of the fastest growing counties in the state and this will help alleviate some of the traffic congestion.”
