Commission Approves Extension for Southern Grape Company
By: Shelia Mader
The Jackson County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to grant a 24-month extension to the development agreement for Southern Grape Company LLC, opting not to approve the 30-month extension originally requested by the applicant.
During the June 10 board meeting, Interim County Administrator Rett Daniels informed commissioners of the request to amend the previously approved General Development Order, which was granted on April 11, 2025. The original order allowed for the construction of a 9,810 square-foot building to house a wine production and events facility. The proposed development also includes space for retail, manufacturing, and meeting areas, as well as a 31,715 square-foot vehicular use area complete with sidewalks.
The project is located on U.S. Highway 321, approximately 1,723 feet north of the intersection with Highway 231 and Highway 73 North in unincorporated Jackson County.
While the developer sought a 30-month extension, staff recommended the board adhere to its established precedent of limiting such extensions to 24 months.
Commissioner Paul Donofro, Jr. supported the staff recommendation, stating, “When I read through this, I thought that the 30-month extension of the development order was a little bit lengthy. I think 24 months is probably a little bit more appropriate. So, I’ll offer a motion to extend the development agreement for Southern Grape Company LLC to 24 months.”
The initial development order was granted in 2023. At that time, the Board was told they will not only serve wine, but they will also grow the grapes and produce their own wine in their vineyard. The ag element is very important to Jackson County and comes into play in that they will actually have vineyards there. The agricultural component of it is very important because Jackson County is such an agricultural community and county. When completed, they will be growing the grapes there, processing them at the winery and converting those into a product for consumption. The commissioners agreed that with it being such a visible location on Highway 231, it will be a visible element for growth. There are a number of people that travel that road access to Panama City and the beaches south of Jackson County, giving it a lot of exposure from that traffic.
The motion passed without opposition, reinforcing the county’s consistent approach to development timelines while keeping the door open for progress on the high-profile project.