Page 50 - Panama City Living May/June 2019

REGROWING
MEXICO BEACH
Kimberly Shoaf, president of the Mexico Beach Community Development Council
The Visitor Welcome Center before Hurricane Michael. Below: Mexico Beach's temporary Visitor's Center
an architect working on new plans. Hopefully we’ll break ground sometime before the end of the year.”
The City Pier is also on the list of structures being brought back to life. A beacon of Mexico Beach and every angler’s dream, the pier was originally constructed in the 1960s, thanks to funding secured by Charlie Parker’s dear friend, Ira Hills, who was a Bay County commissioner at the time.
“It will be put back,” Shoaf says with confidence. “The biggest hurdle is the financial aspect. Once funding is secured, hopefully it will fall into place.” The Courtney Knight Gaines Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Georgia that has invested in the city’s marine development for years, awarded $25,000 to the Mexico Beach Artificial Reef Association; of this, $2,000 will go towards the City Pier’s replacement.
When asked what she appreciates most about Mexico Beach, Shoaf’s voice is awash with emotion and pride. “I can’t really nail it down to one specific thing,” she begins. “I grew up in this town, so this is the only home I’ve ever really known, except when I went off to college. After college, I moved back here and have been in the area ever since. The great thing about Mexico Beach is that its residents are, without a doubt, the friendliest people you will ever come across. Even a catastrophe like Hurricane
50 • May–June 2019 • www.PanamaCityLiving.com