PALM BAY, Fla. – On Thursday night, Palm Bay city leaders met to discuss possible ways to redevelop an area known by residents as the “Compound.”
The Compound began as thousands of acres of land that were divvied up for homes that were never built, and this vacant stretch is now a hotbed for criminal activity.
According to police, multiple people have been murdered in this area, and several bodies have been dumped.
As the city moves forward with plans to attract commercial and industrial developments, News 6 spoke with Kenneth Bullivant, who explained that he’s starting an organization to help save dogs he’s witnessed being dumped at the Compound.
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Bullivant said that with the help of the Brevard Alliance Rescue K-9 Group — or “BARK” for short — community members who care about the neighborhood can help turn it around.
He spoke with the Palm Bay City Council during its Thursday night meeting before the council agreed to pass a development study.
“I remember the previous council: I brought it up, you know, that Palm Bay has the potential to have a Silicon Valley, and that council laughed at me,” Bullivant said. “I still see it as potential right here. The space industry is in our backyard, and when they need a place to build and they will need a place to expand, this is a perfect opportunity.”
The city agreed to issue the development study to explore development ideas after two teens were found murdered on Christmas in 2022.
However, city leaders said that some of the challenges with the Compound include small lot sizes with multiple property owners, curvilinear streets and no outlet to the north or south.
Along the west side of the property, plans call for a conservation area, which would include parks and walking trails.
Another potential hurdle will be acquiring the land needed to implement these developments.
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