Here are some of articles from five years ago on Hurricane Ivan and our community’s recovery:
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IN Coverage of Hurricane Ivan
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2 Responses to “IN Coverage of Hurricane Ivan”
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no body in Escambia seems to care about all this. It is a shame.
BTB… how long ago was Ivan anyways?
Don’t forget that one of the best stories in the aftermath of Ivan was the birth of the MARITIME PARK!
It troubles me, though, that this park has been so maligned.
Now, UWF is making a land grab at the Community Maritime Park that threatens to spoil the public’s vision for it.
UWF is making it loud and clear that it does not want to have the location of the proposed Maritime Museum moved from the prime southwest corner of the Community Maritime Park (known as Site A) to the northwest corner on the water/just off Main Street (known as Site B).
The UWF Board of Trustees meets in FWB Thursday night (Sept. 17) to vote on its preferred site. Collier Merrill and Nancy Fetterman are on that board and are expected to ramrod Site A through the Trustees.
UWF officials/supporters are pushing to hold on to the SW corner site that was proposed (never set in stone, site plans are constantly evolving, as you know) even though it could:
1) Drastically reduce the chances of the park getting an extra $12 million from tax credits. In fact, could reduce that amount by half, Ed Gray with Gulf Breeze loan pool reported at last CMPA board meeting.
2) Kill private development on the park site, such as shops, restaurants, bars, offices etc., because it would take the prime spot for this activity to be located, which is obvious to everyone. So, the park could end up being nothing more than a stadium and museum after all, because of UWF’s greedy land grab for its own selfish interest. This is not what the public wants and it is not in the best interest of the public.
In addition, UWF is overlooking that the NW corner (Site B) is actually a better location. Consider that it:
– Would put the museum right next to the proposed marine research center
–Would be in a more highly visible location being just off Main Street
–Would make it a centerpiece of the entire project
–Would actually provide a better waterfront and park view
–Would still be on the waterfront
–Would lead to more visitors and foot traffic
–Would cause developers they’ve said to convert a proposed square into a front lawn/park leading into the museum’s main entrance
Community leaders who spearheaded the park development are on record supporting the NW location for the UWF’s Maritime Museum. What great leadership! Something is not better than nothing on the park site; Pensacola deserves the best park development possible.
Many people in the community are saying that Collier Merrill (CMPA board, UWF Board of Trustees chairman, and Fish House owner) doesn’t want to move the Maritime Museum because of his own personal money/business interests.
Unbelievable that despite the facts, anyone would risk killing a vibrant and active waterfont site (one the Pensacola’s young people demand) full of shops, restaurants, offices, a hotel and residences, which are far better suited for that SW waterfront corner. Not only that, UWF risks killing the GIFT of $12 million in tax credits!
It just doesn’t make any sense and actually hurts not only Pensacola but UWF as well. What a shame that UWF leaders remain too blind to their own self-interest and egos to do what’s truly best for the community as a whole.