Bay County commissioners voted to move forward with a proposal to rename the portion of Thomas Drive between U.S. 98 and the curve near Newby's to "Navy Boulevard" to honor Naval Support Activity Panama City Beach and the U.S. Navy's 200th anniversary.

A commissioner who introduced the proposal said the corridor is a primary east-west tourist route and argued renaming the segment would honor the Navy and the naval facilitys local economic impact (the commissioner cited roughly $600 million in annual local economic impact). The proposal would require address changes for some businesses and two residential properties; the board discussed maintaining numbering while changing the street name to minimize disruption.

Commissioners expressed support for the renaming and the board approved the motion by roll-call vote. Staff will begin the process of implementing the name change, notify property owners and affected businesses, and coordinate logistics for signage and address updates if the board pursues formal renaming steps.