Panama City Invests $500M in Infrastructure Overhaul, with MLK Rec Complex Nearing Completion

PANAMA CITY, FL - Panama City is undergoing a transformation unlike anything in recent memory. City Manager Jonathan Hayes, whose family has called the area home for 100 years, says the city is making generational investments to rebuild, modernize, and prepare for a stronger future.

Speaking at the Bay County NAACP meeting, Hayes offered residents a detailed update on the MLK Recreation Center. The $21 million facility is nearing completion, with major infrastructure, including the gymnasium, multipurpose building, courts, and playground, already built. In the next 30 to 45 days, the city will install field lighting, complete concrete work for the basketball court, and finish landscaping, sidewalks, and a large retention pond.

“I don’t really call it the MLK Rec Center,” Hayes told the crowd. “To me, it’s becoming the MLK Rec Complex. It’s really so much bigger than just one building.” Hayes emphasized that the center will serve East Panama City for generations to come.

But the work doesn’t stop there. Hayes outlined the city’s nearly $500 million investment in infrastructure projects across the city. Decades of underinvestment left Panama City with aging water and sewer systems, and now the city is addressing those problems head-on. From repaving roads to completely replacing underground pipes, the goal is long-term stability, not quick fixes.

Hayes also highlighted the importance of the city’s 140 lift stations, which keep wastewater moving to treatment facilities. Roughly 80 of these stations are currently being repaired or upgraded. Many will receive permanent bypass pumps to help prevent sewer overflows during power outages, thanks to grant programs from FEMA, HUD, and the State Revolving Fund. This state-funded program offers $0-interest loans with delayed repayment and partial forgiveness, enabling the city to move forward without overburdening its budget.

Community involvement is also a priority during this process. Hayes encouraged residents to report any concerns they have about the construction work and shared how the city plans to involve the public in shaping operations at the new MLK Complex. From staffing decisions to opening hours, feedback from the community will play a central role.

Hayes ended the meeting by reminding everyone that these changes are about more than infrastructure. “This is not a job that I would just do in any random city,” he said. “This is an opportunity to serve the community that my family has called home for a hundred years.”

Watch Jonathan Hayes speak here: https://rumble.com/v6uwcet-jonathan-hayes-city-manager-panama-city-fl.html 
Video by Karen Custer