The site of the long-closed White Eagle Lounge, once a landmark bar and favored spot among bikers in Flagler County, is set for transformation into a gas station and convenience store. The county’s Planning Board recently recommended rezoning the property, and the County Commission finalized the necessary land use changes, including vacating an almost century-old plat covering the 3.56-acre site.
Originally platted around 1929 but never fully developed for its initial purpose, the property consists of about 20 lots split across five parcels near the roundabout at South U.S. Highway 1, South Old Dixie Highway, and County Road 325. The White Eagle building itself, which had deteriorated over time, will be demolished to make way for the new commercial development.
Current zoning on the land includes low-density residential, conservation, and high-intensity commercial. The property owner, represented by Kimley-Horn and Associates, has sought to rezone the entire parcel to high-intensity commercial, allowing a maximum of 62,029 square feet of commercial space. A conceptual plan shows a gas station with a convenience store, featuring access points directly from U.S. 1 and County Road 325, with improvements planned for the county road.
The property lacks municipal water and sewer connections and will rely on a private well for water and an on-site septic system for waste. While potential environmental and regulatory impacts of operating such a facility on localized utilities were noted, planning officials did not raise significant concerns during the review process.
The intersection near the site, historically dangerous with numerous fatal crashes, has improved since the installation of the roundabout in 2020, reducing fatalities to just one since then. The sale of the property concluded in 2020, transferring ownership for $550,000 to a developer from St. Augustine. A prior lawsuit concerning the property was dismissed in 2021, solidifying the path for redevelopment.