Florida Lt. Gov. Collins Tours Palm Coast Fire Station, Town Center Development

Florida Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins spent Friday in Palm Coast touring local public safety facilities and ongoing development in the city's Town Center district. The visit included stops at Fire Station 25, where Collins viewed the department's Safe Haven Baby Box, and the Promenade at Town Center, a mixed-use project currently under construction near Central Park.

Collins, who is running for governor, was greeted by city representatives, members of the Knights of Columbus, Flagler Palm Coast Kiwanis, and Father Manny Lopez from Santa Maria del Mar Catholic Church in Flagler Beach. City Manager Mike McGlothlin said the visit was informational and did not constitute an endorsement of any candidate for public office.

What's happening

At Fire Station 25, Collins met with Palm Coast Fire Department personnel and learned about the department's community services. The station houses a Safe Haven Baby Box that was dedicated in September 2025 following a community-led fundraising effort supported by the Knights of Columbus, Flagler Palm Coast Kiwanis, and other local partners.

The Safe Haven Baby Box provides parents in crisis with a safe, secure, and anonymous way to surrender a newborn. The box is monitored around the clock by Palm Coast Fire Department personnel and is equipped with safety features that immediately alert first responders when it is used.

Following the fire station tour, Collins visited the Promenade at Town Center, a mixed-use development under construction near Central Park. The tour included future residential and commercial spaces, including one- and two-bedroom apartments, rooftop gathering areas, and additional community amenities.

A resource for parents in crisis

The Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station 25 represents a partnership between the city and community organizations to provide a critical resource for parents facing difficult circumstances. Safe Haven laws in Florida allow parents to surrender newborns up to seven days old at designated locations without fear of prosecution, provided the child is unharmed.

Baby boxes expand on traditional Safe Haven drop-off points by providing a climate-controlled, secure receptacle that can be accessed from outside the building. When a baby is placed inside, the box's safety systems immediately notify fire department personnel, who can retrieve the infant within minutes. The boxes are designed to protect both the child and the parent's anonymity.

The community fundraising effort that brought the box to Fire Station 25 reflects growing awareness of infant abandonment issues. Nationwide, Safe Haven programs aim to prevent unsafe abandonments by providing parents with a legal, anonymous alternative. For Palm Coast residents, the box at Fire Station 25 serves the broader Flagler County area as a resource for families in crisis.

Town Center's evolving footprint

The Promenade at Town Center represents a significant step in Palm Coast's longstanding effort to build a more urban, walkable core around Central Park. Town Center has been a focal point of the city's growth strategy for years, with the goal of creating a mixed-use hub that combines housing, retail, dining, and community spaces.

The Promenade's mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments, commercial spaces, and rooftop gathering areas is designed to support this vision by adding residential density in close proximity to shops, restaurants, and civic amenities. Mixed-use projects like the Promenade typically aim to reduce car dependency by allowing residents to walk to daily destinations, a planning approach that has gained traction in Florida's growing suburban cities.

For existing Palm Coast residents, the addition of apartment units in Town Center could provide more housing options for young professionals, downsizing homeowners, or people seeking a more urban lifestyle without moving to a larger metro area. The commercial spaces are intended to attract businesses that serve both new residents and the broader community.

The project's location near Central Park positions it to benefit from existing public amenities while contributing to the area's activity level. Developments of this type often face a multi-year lease-up and tenant-attraction period before reaching full occupancy and establishing their role in the local market.

Infrastructure and growth considerations

As Town Center adds residential units, the project will increase demand on city services including water, sewer, stormwater management, and transportation infrastructure. Palm Coast's utility systems are operated by the city, which must plan capacity expansions to accommodate growth in the area.

Traffic patterns around Town Center are likely to evolve as the Promenade and other projects bring more residents and businesses to the district. The walkable design aims to internalize some trips within the development, but connections to surrounding neighborhoods and major corridors like Palm Coast Parkway will shape how residents and visitors access the area.

School capacity is another consideration as new residential development comes online in Flagler County, though the Promenade's apartment configuration may generate fewer school-age children than single-family subdivisions. The Flagler County School District monitors growth patterns across the county to plan for enrollment changes and facility needs.

Property values in neighborhoods surrounding Town Center could be affected by the district's transformation. Mixed-use developments typically aim to increase property values by improving walkability and amenities, though the impact depends on project quality, management, and how well the commercial components succeed in attracting tenants and activity.

What happens next

The Promenade at Town Center remains under construction, and the city has not announced a completion timeline in the tour announcement. As construction progresses, the developer will work through building inspections, certificate of occupancy approvals, and the process of leasing residential units and commercial spaces.

The project's opening will be one piece of the broader Town Center buildout, which has been a long-term planning priority for Palm Coast. Future development in the district will depend on market demand, infrastructure capacity, and the success of early-phase projects like the Promenade in establishing Town Center as a regional destination.

The Safe Haven Baby Box at Fire Station 25 is now operational and available around the clock. Information about Florida's Safe Haven law and the locations of Safe Haven sites is available through the state and local health departments.

Collins's visit highlights Palm Coast's position in the broader Northeast Florida growth story. As Flagler County continues to attract new residents drawn by coastal access and proximity to larger metros, projects like the Promenade signal the city's effort to shape that growth into a more connected, mixed-use community rather than sprawling, single-use subdivisions. The success of that strategy will be measured over the coming years as Town Center's buildout continues and the district defines its identity within the region.