Bayfront masterplan located on St. Andrew Bay

SweetBay is a new 700-acre master-planned community under development on the site of the former Bay County International airport. Located on the 69,000-acre St. Andrew Bay estuary, SweetBay has approximately five miles of accessible bay frontage and plans for 140 acres of open space and parks. It has been called the largest urban infill development in Florida at this time.

After four years of planning and input from hundreds of Panama City residents, the first homes were sold in 2016 by Samuel Taylor Homes. Over the next 15-20 years SweetBay is planned to grow to approximately 3,000 homes in series of neighborhoods woven together by trails and waterways.

Town center with up to 700,000 square feet

Development plans also include a future town center with up to 700,000 square feet of retail establishments, a proposed marina with 117 wet slips and 240 dry storage spaces, and extensive recreation and parks.

The community is being developed using four guiding principles: creating a walkable village atmosphere, preserving the bayfront for generations to come, honoring the local history and traditions, and promoting wellness through outdoor living.

Home of Acclaimed University Academy

Plans for SweetBay’s first phase, Academy Park, include 260 homes, five parks and a community pool, and the first phase of an extensive trail and waterway network. The focal point and namesake of Academy Park is University Academy, housed in the former Panama City Airport terminal. The academy is a highly sought-after free, public charter school that serves as the SweetBay neighborhood school for grades 4K-8.

Former airport site

SweetBay is being developed on land that is rich in history. Owned by the Atkinson family in the early 1930s, the property was donated to the Panama City Chamber of Commerce as an airfield. In the late 1930s the terminal was built and it was renamed Fannin Field after the mayor at the time. The airport underwent a major redevelopment in 1995 as the Panama City – Bay County International Airport (PFN). In 2011 the land was purchased for development after the airport was relocated.

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