New designation fails for SR 87

State Road 87 will remain SR 87 for the foreseeable future after a bill was dropped during the legislative session that would have changed the designation of a portion of the street to Florida’s Beaches and Rivers Parkway.

The bill came in response to many tourism officials believing visitors were passing up the area after hurricanes Ivan and Dennis, followed by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, impacted the area. Members of theTourist Development Council of Santa Rosa County were hoping that perhaps a name change for the strip of SR 87 between U.S. Highways 90 and 98 would attract more attention, according to Kyle Holley, a member of the north end committee of the TDC.

Holley said the council wanted to draw more attention to Navarre Beach specifically because many people weren’t even aware it existed. However, due to the fact Navarre is not incorporated, they could not put Navarre Beach on the signs. Instead they decided on Beaches and Rivers Parkway.