A Florida Gem
A Small City Moving Forward with Purpose
Marianna, Florida, is embracing a new chapter of growth, one defined by strategic investment, civic pride, and an unmistakable sense of momentum. For city leaders, the goal is not simply to rebuild or improve, but to position Marianna as a stronger, more resilient, and more vibrant community for the future.
City Manager William Long describes it simply: Marianna is a small city on the move.
That movement is visible across nearly every corner of the community. From downtown redevelopment and recreational expansion to wastewater upgrades, industrial growth, airport improvements, and new housing initiatives, Marianna is pursuing a broad slate of projects designed to strengthen both quality of life and long-term economic opportunity.
For Mayor Travis Ephraim, the mission is clear. The city must continue investing in the assets that make Marianna a desirable place to live, work, and stay, while also creating opportunities for the next generation to build their futures close to home.
Downtown as a Catalyst for Growth
Marianna’s downtown remains central to that vision.
As the county seat, the city welcomes a steady flow of residents and visitors coming in to conduct business at the courthouse and other public offices. Local leadership sees that traffic as an opportunity to create a more engaging downtown experience—one that encourages people not only to pass through, but to stay, shop, dine, and return.
A major piece of that effort is the redevelopment of a historic downtown building that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Michael. Once known locally as the Marianna Office Supply Building, the structure is now being transformed through a public-private partnership into a boutique hotel with a full-service restaurant. City officials see the project as a launching pad for continued reinvestment in the downtown core.
The hotel, tentatively expected to be called Iralena, is envisioned as a distinctive destination that will add both hospitality and dining options to the area while giving new life to a long-standing downtown property.
Marianna has also continued to build momentum through its Community Redevelopment Agency and Main Street program. Downtown improvements have included upgraded lighting, refreshed streetscape features, decorative enhancements, and a growing mural program that adds color and character to the district. At the same time, the city has worked to create more reasons for residents and visitors to gather in the heart of town.
William Long, City Manager
Those efforts are paying off. Small festivals, parade-related events, food truck Fridays, and seasonal cook-offs are now drawing families downtown regularly. Madison Street Park, with its splash pad and covered pavilion, has become a hub of activity and a key gathering place for community events.
Together, these initiatives are doing more than beautifying downtown. They are creating the kind of atmosphere city leaders believe is essential to long-term revitalization.
Infrastructure Built for Resilience
Behind the visible improvements lies a significant commitment to critical infrastructure.
Marianna is currently managing dozens of projects totaling close to $100 million, many of them focused on the systems that support growth and protect the city during emergencies. One of the largest is a major gravity sewer project that stretches across the community and connects to one of the city’s primary lift stations, increasing wastewater capacity and positioning Marianna for future development.
The city is also making substantial upgrades to its wastewater treatment infrastructure by hardening facilities and adding generators to ensure continued operation during power outages. That includes the treatment plant itself as well as numerous lift stations throughout the city. For a community that has experienced the impacts of major storms, that kind of resilience is essential.
Stormwater management is another top priority. Marianna is addressing flooding in vulnerable areas through a series of projects that include detention ponds, pipe capacity improvements, and drainage enhancements designed to slow, capture, and redirect runoff more effectively. Near the local hospital, one such detention pond is helping reduce sediment and nutrient flow into the Chipola River, one of the region’s most valued natural resources.
Taken together, these projects reflect a city that understands infrastructure is not just about maintenance. It is about creating the foundation for sustainable growth.
Housing as a Community Priority
Housing remains one of Marianna’s most urgent needs and one of its clearest opportunities.
City leaders have made no secret of their desire to emerge from recent years in a stronger position than before, and housing is a major part of that strategy. After Hurricane Michael, the city lost a significant amount of housing stock, and many displaced residents never returned.
That loss continues to affect local workers, families, and service providers looking for attainable places to live.
In response, Marianna is pursuing housing growth on multiple fronts.
One of the most visible partnerships is with Habitat for Humanity, which is building what will become its first subdivision within the city. The organization had held land for many years, and now, with renewed momentum and city support, that vision is finally taking shape. Seven homes are planned in the initial development, with additional projects being discussed for North Marianna.
The city is also working with private developers on multifamily housing opportunities, including a four-acre tract owned by the city that has generated strong interest. Officials continue to hear from teachers, nurses, police officers, firefighters, and other members of the local workforce who need housing options they can afford, making this a high priority for the city’s leadership.
Marianna’s approach includes both new development and infill. City-owned lots are being made available for housing where appropriate, giving developers opportunities to build inside the city rather than starting from scratch on undeveloped land. For local officials, that strategy offers a practical way to strengthen neighborhoods, expand utility customers, and bring more residents back into the community.
Economic Development with Real Momentum
Beyond housing and downtown revitalization, Marianna is also seeing significant progress in business and industry.
Two projects in particular stand out for their scale and economic potential. The first is PackEx USA, a company in the water bottling business that is making a major investment in a 100,000-square-foot facility. The operation is expected to support contracts involving products for Coca-Cola and the cruise line industry, while creating approximately 75 above-average wage jobs in the community.
The second is Pulse Industries, which is establishing operations in a large city-owned industrial building. The company produces linear accelerators used for sterilization across a range of sectors, including food processing and wastewater treatment. Pulse is making a substantial investment in its Marianna facility and is expected to generate dozens of technical, high-paying positions as operations ramp up.
For city officials, these projects represent exactly the kind of growth they want to see. While they may not be the kind of headline-grabbing mega-projects that attract national attention, they are the sort of well-matched industrial wins that strengthen the local economy in durable ways. They create jobs, diversify opportunities, and build on the city’s existing assets.
Mayor Ephraim believes that kind of diversification is essential. Marianna’s roots remain deeply connected to agriculture, but leadership also sees value in broadening the city’s economic base through manufacturing, logistics, healthcare-related growth, and other sectors that can evolve alongside the needs of the region.
Healthcare and Education as Core Assets
A key part of Marianna’s appeal lies in the strength of its community institutions.
Healthcare is one of them. In a rural area, access to hospital services and specialty care can be transformative, and Marianna is fortunate to have a hospital that plays an outsized role in both the local economy and regional quality of life. With roughly 500 employees, the hospital is one of the city’s major employers and continues to expand its capabilities.
Specialty care, orthopedics, cancer treatment, outpatient services, and affiliated clinics all contribute to a level of access not always found in communities of this size. A new outpatient surgery facility is also in development, further strengthening the local healthcare landscape.
Education is another pillar. Chipola State College provides both two-year and four-year opportunities for students across the region and is widely regarded as one of the community’s strongest assets. Alongside the public school system, the college helps reinforce Marianna’s appeal as a place where families can build stable lives with access to meaningful educational pathways.
An Airport with Long-Term Potential
Marianna is also placing increased emphasis on one of its most important economic gateways: the Marianna Municipal Airport.
The airport, originally associated with the former Graham Air Base, offers the city a unique opportunity to support aviation activity, industrial growth, and workforce development. With a 6,000-foot runway, extensive acreage, and recent infrastructure upgrades, the airport is emerging as a valuable asset for the wider region.
Recent investments include runway rehabilitation, runway lengthening, and the completion of a new 15,000-square-foot corporate hangar. The city is also in discussions with companies that may locate new operations at the airfield.
One of the most notable current tenants is the Helicopter Institute, which is providing helicopter pilot training in support of military operations. Its presence has already contributed to a substantial increase in fuel sales at the airport, providing a measurable sign of growing activity.
City leaders see the airport as more than a transportation facility. They view it as a long-term economic engine with the potential to attract aviation-related investment, support training opportunities, and enhance Marianna’s regional competitiveness.
Investing in Public Safety and Recreation
Marianna’s growth strategy also includes a strong focus on public safety and quality-of-life amenities.
The city is upgrading its fire station, police station, and related municipal offices, reinforcing the importance of maintaining strong public services in the downtown core. At the same time, a major new recreational project is now underway with the groundbreaking of a 27,000-square-foot multi-purpose building at the city’s recreation complex.
Designed to serve as both a community facility and an emergency shelter, the building will include basketball courts, volleyball courts, and pickleball space under normal conditions, while also being constructed to withstand severe weather events. That dual purpose captures the city’s broader approach: investing in projects that improve everyday life while also building resilience for the future.
Additional plans are in motion for a multi-use walking trail around the city, another project aimed at expanding outdoor recreation and giving families more opportunities to stay active close to home.
Looking Ahead
As Marianna moves through 2026 and into 2027, city leadership remains focused on a few key priorities: investing in core community assets, expanding housing and economic opportunity, and continuing to build the infrastructure needed for long-term success.
For Mayor Ephraim, that means strengthening the airport, utilities, hospital, and downtown while making Marianna the kind of place where young families can imagine a future. For City Manager Long, it means continuing to answer the call with projects that enhance resilience, create opportunity, and improve daily life for residents.
What makes Marianna especially compelling is not just the number of projects underway, but the consistency of the city’s direction. There is a clear sense that local leaders are not reacting to change, but actively shaping it.
Marianna may still describe itself as a small town, but it is thinking and building with big-picture purpose.
And by every indication, it is moving forward.
AT A GLANCE
Who: Marianna, FL
What: A beautiful community focused on providing the best housing option, business growth, and a thriving downtown core
Where: Jackson County, Florida
Website: www.cityofmarianna.com
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