Pace skyline is growing

With the soon-to-be-completed Woodbine Professional Park, a two storied professional office building next to Pace Water System, property along that section of the north-south Woodbine Road artery will become another approximately million and a half dollars more exclusive.

The red brick property on the west side of the roadway is owned and will be anchored by Wheat & Rouse CPAs of Pace and Dr. Frank A. Joslin's Joslin Family Eyecare which has flagship offices currently at 5560 Stewart Street in Milton.

A third as yet to be announced tenant will share the building which faces an esthetically designed parking lot that will accommodate up to 48 vehicles at any given moment, according to Construction Manager Tim Wheat, a partner in the CPA firm that shares ownership.

"We're really excited that the project is moving ahead so swiftly," said Ed Rouse of the Wheat & Rouse CPA firm that will occupy the center portion of the building, "and we just can't wait to move in and get settled."

Mike Sanborn,  of Sanborn Builders,  who is the general contractor and construction superintendent personally supervising the job, confirmed that the building should be ready for occupancy by the end of August or the middle of September.

"Material used in constructing the building along with careful planning and strategic workmanship insures the strength of the building to be the toughest you'll find anywhere," Sanborn said. The building meets or far exceeds the safety standards and structural integrity tests of any along coastal hurricane zone.

The project, in terms of planning,  research, and development, is far from happenstance and didn't become the reality that it is overnight, according to Dr. Joslin who has maintained his practice in Milton since 1982. It's been in the works for a while since he and CPA Tim Wheat acquired the property a few years ago.

"My new office here will be a 'state of the art' eye care facility," Dr. Joslin said during a tour of the new quarters. "A large optical showroom will feature hundreds of frames including designer frames, exclusive frame lines, as well as frames to fit all budgets," he explained.

"Included in the office will be a computerized optical lab to expedite clients' eyewear prescriptions as well as some of the latest 'high tech' equipment available to provide the highest quality eye care," Dr. Joslin said. "In addition to eye examinations, the practice includes contact lens fittings, co-managing cataract and laser vision correction surgery, and diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases."

After the expansion Dr. Joslin will also continue to maintain his practice and see patients at the Milton location on Stewart Street.

The new offices will be characterized as Joslin Family Eyecare of Pace. "It will be a great improvement, space wise," Dr. Joslin said. "While the Milton office occupies approximately 1400 square feet, the new Pace office will almost double that to 2500 square feet. So you see we will have considerably more space to serve our customers."

Wheat & Rouse CPAs which characterizes itself as "Your Hometown Professionals" is currently located at 4475 Woodbine Road, Suite 7, in Pace. It is a full service accounting firm which provides tax, accounting, computer/information systems, investments, and consulting services to individuals and businesses in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties and throughout the United States, according to Rouse, its managing partner.

"The new building is the best professional facility on Woodbine Road, bar none," Rouse further asserted. Its abundance of parking, beautiful dÈcor, and comfortable surroundings make it stand out decisively.

But the new building is more than just a handsome building, Rouse says. "We look at it as representing a major investment in the county that adds significantly to the tax base as well as providing jobs for county residents in the construction and service industries," he said.

He went on to say that in an economy that is slipping elsewhere, it is an important milestone for Woodbine Road and also for the county itself. "I think this is very important since we always hear people advocating, 'spend your money at home' and 'support local businesses'," he said. "We at Wheat & Rouse and Joslin Eyecare have done just that to the tune of $1.2 million. We put our money where our mouths are, so to speak!"

Wheat who is acting in the capacity of construction manager for the project had even more good things to say about the undertaking. "We have been blessed to have some of our longtime clients that helped build our business now helping build our building," he said.

"There are people like Mike Sanborn of Sanborn Builders and his sons Bill and Ryan who were just kids when we opened our doors in 1992, and Terry Davis of Davis Masonry whose company did all the brick work," he said.

"And let's not forget Jeff Haddan of Haddan's Home Furnishings who will handle the carpet, tile, and other floor coverings in our unit. All are great friends and quality people who do quality work," Wheat continued.

The central, two-storied section of the building will house the CPA firm and its support staff. "Our business volume has grown tremendously within recent years, and we are looking forward to the extra space where we can flex our muscles and be a little more relaxed," Rouse said. The new office space and added facilities will also facilitate customer service, he said.

In addition to the red brick veneer, the building will feature a wraparound balcony-deck facing west that will be both interesting to visitors and a great place for staff breaks, Rouse said. "The whole project has been well planned and constructed, and we feel it measures up well among existing properties in the area."

"We look forward to our new location with Dr. Joslin of Joslin Family Eyecare," Wheat continued about the new facility. "I've known Dr. Joslin for about 20 years, and you couldn't ask for a finer man to be in business next to you!"

He said the third suite of offices on the south end of the building will be available for lease, but a tenant has not yet been selected.