OKEECHOBEE – Plans for Bass Pro to take over the Okee-Tantie recreation area are moving forward, according to information shared at the Sept. 28 meeting of the Okeechobee County Commission

County Attorney Wade Vose said he recently spent an all-day meeting in Orlando with a team of attorneys from Bass Pro going through “a whole number” of different issues.

“I am very happy to say we were successful in sorting out all manner of little nitpicky things,” he said.

“One by one have been clearing out all those little things,” he said

Kimley-Horne, serving as an engineer for Bass Pro, has completed a phase one environmental report.  He said the Okeechobee Utility Authority (OUA) attorney and the underwriter’s attorney have confirmed the parcel used by OUA within the park was via an easement and OUA does not own any property in Okee-Tantie.

Vose said Bass Pro has understood from the beginning that the package plant will remain operating there until the new septic service comes in.

 “We are hopefully happily going to be coming in for a landing very soon resolving the matter of area of apparent use with the RV park down there. There is a shall we say punch list of items that I’ve been in good communication with their attorney, but there are some things still need to be cleaned up down there. I have every confidence that will be sorted out as well.”

Vose said they are moving forward on all these different fronts and Bass Pro continues to work out their due diligence with regulating agencies.

Bass Pro’s resort arm Big Cedar plans to turn Okee-Tantie into a world class fishing resort.

Community Service Director Denise Whitehead said the boat slips are still being rented out and the amphitheater is still being leased out. She said they won’t take any more reservations for the amphitheater. She said the boat slips are leased on a month-by-month basis.