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Sep 15, 2008 - Panama City Beach – Top 10 For Family Vacations

Panama City Beach, FL - September 15, 2008  -- For anyone not paying attention to the happenings in Panama City Beach, they will be pleasantly surprised.

Up until recently, PCB has been in the shadow of Destin and Sandestin and the beautiful coastal villages such as Seaside and Rosemary Beach.  All of that is changing with the new development that is slated to finish up through 2008 and 2009.

The ongoing renovation of Front Beach Road has included tram lines up and down the PCB coastline, in addition to the Bay Town Trolley’s Pier Park Express. Dedicated walking areas, new streetscaping, and a skyline of new and distinctive condo buildings are rising up.

Probably the number one new development taking place right now in PCB is construction of the new Bay County International airport. The St. Joe Company has set aside several thousand acres both for development of the airport and conservation, and work is slated for completion in late 2009 or 2010.

Another development causing quite a stir in PCB is the Pier Park development by Simon Property Group. Pier Park, a 93 acre outdoor mall which runs from Front Beach Road to Highway 98, opened in 2007 and is currently drawing huge crowds of shoppers and diners despite the struggling economy.  It has a “Southern Theaters” Grand 16 Theater which seats 3300, a Super Target, and a mix of shopping and dining.  Some of the retailers include Dillards, Old Navy, Ron Jon Surf Shop, JC Penney, and a plethora of teen clothing stores - American Eagle, Hollister and Aeropostle to name a few.  Some of the great dining choices include Jimmy Buffetts Margaritaville, Back Porch Seafood House, Panera Bread, and, of course, Starbucks.

PCB is striving to become the number one family destination along the gulf. As with most resort areas around the world, property prices have dropped with the recent economic turmoil, but potential vacation homeowners and investors will no doubt be attracted to this location as the market recovers. With its great weather, gorgeous white sand beaches, emerald waters, spectacular new developments such as Pier Park, and an international airport in the works, the future looks bright indeed.