A major new addition for Flagler County’s emergency preparedness infrastructure will break ground in just a few weeks. The ‘Fairgrounds Expo Hall’ is having its groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday, November 5th in Bunnell at 1:00 pm.
The facility, located at 150 Sawgrass Road, is slated to be a meaningful expansion of the county’s capacity to conduct emergency preparedness operations. The Florida legislature last year awarded ten million dollars for the construction of an emergency shelter other than the county’s public schools, which have typically shouldered the burden during major hurricanes.
At a media briefing ahead of this year’s hurricane season in May, Flagler Emergency Management Director Jonathan Lord said that the hopes were for the building to be fully constructed by Summer 2026. When not in use as an emergency shelter, the Expo Hall will be able to be rented out by Flagler County Parks and Recreation so that it can bring in revenue for the county. Still, this would likely accomplish something in the ballpark of breaking even on operation costs, Lord said.
“This is a multipurpose building, and it is my hope that emergency management and sheltering will be the least of its uses,” Lord said in a statement on Monday. “I’d be happy if we only had to test the facility instead of using it for a hurricane. The rest of the time, this building can be used by the community for recreational purposes and host events and activities – but one that is built to hurricane standards.”
As a shelter, the facility will include handicap parking and will accommodate pets and special needs evacuees. It’ll ideally be able to withstand winds of up to 180 miles per hour – the equivalent of a catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. This is comparable to the maximum one-minute sustained wind speeds recorded during hurricanes Irma (2017) and Milton (2024).
When finished, the Expo Hall will be one story high, just north of Cattleman’s Hall. There will be a main area of about 10,000 square feet plus additional room for storage areas, a kitchen, restrooms, and a foyer. The restrooms will include showers and enough toilets and sinks for emergency shelter situations. An electrical system will be installed to accommodate special needs medical requirements, and a generator will be included with the ability to power the entire building and all of its outlets and lights at maximum capacity. This will include HVAC and kitchen appliances. The generator is said to be able to withstand the conditions of a Category 5 hurricane.
Chris Gollon is a Flagler County resident since 2004, as well as a staple of the local independent music scene and avid observer of Central Florida politics, arts, and recreation.
