District 7 Town Hall: Major Projects, Community Concerns Take Center Stage

On August 26, Mayor D.C. Reeves and Councilman Delarian Wiggins hosted a District 7 Town Hall at the Lakeview Activity Center. In his opening remarks, Mayor Reeves described District 7 as the most active district in the city, from both investment and development perspectives.

He highlighted three major initiatives:

• Fricker Center Renovation: The $9.5 million in grant funding will transform the center into a comprehensive community hub, featuring a senior center, workforce development through Career Source, educational partnerships with the school district, and health services through a collaboration with Baptist Hospital.
• Sanders Beach Improvements: Ongoing renewal includes a new kayak launch, upgraded bathrooms and amenities, with project management ensuring cohesive development for future generations.
• Baptist Hospital Project: The most significant undertaking in terms of timeline and scope, requiring extensive community input for redevelopment planning.

Baptist Hospital Redevelopment: Complex Process Underway

Economic Development Director Erica Grancagnolo provided detailed updates on the Baptist Hospital site acquisition and redevelopment timeline:

• Property Transfer: City expects to close on the donated property by late September
• Demolition Timeline: Actual demolition activities projected to begin around year-end
• Oversight Structure: The city is procuring an owner’s representative who will maintain a daily on-site presence during demolition to ensure compliance with all environmental and safety regulations
• Community Engagement: A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a redevelopment advisor will be released, with community communication plans being a major evaluation criterion

Grancagnolo emphasized that the project’s complexity and scope require specialized expertise beyond the economic development office’s capacity, making the redevelopment advisor crucial for managing community engagement and identifying next steps.

Chappie James Memorial Plaza

Multiple residents raised concerns about the stalled Chappie James Memorial Plaza project.

Status of Stewardship Agreement

Though its termination date was June 30, neither Kinsella nor Reeves explicitly confirmed that the stewardship agreement with the Chappie James Memorial Foundation had expired or been terminated.

• Ellis Jones mentioned at the meeting that he had “reading and hearing that as of July 1, the stewardship agreement had been terminated.” Still, when Mayor Reeves responded, he said there was “a little bit of misinformation happening amongst some of the folks involved in terms of exactly where we are”. He focused on explaining the funding dispute rather than confirming the status of the agreement.

Tim Kinsella also didn’t confirm an expiration. In fact, when responding to CJ Charles later in the meeting, Kinsella indicated ongoing negotiations, saying, “We’re doing that now, sir. I just met with the foundation. I just met with the foundation yesterday, and we want to see it moving forward.”

City-County Funding Question

For Mayor Reeves, the core issue centers on a funding disagreement between the city and county regarding Tourist Development Council (TDC) bed tax dollars.

Mayor Reeves and City Administrator Tim Kinsella explained the city’s position: Escambia County is requiring the city to guarantee that if the state determines TDC funding is inappropriate for the memorial, the city would assume financial liability. City officials argue that this creates an unreasonable burden, as the funding legality determination lies outside city control.

• “It would be the equivalent if someone came to you and said, ‘we’re going to give you a hundred thousand dollars to build a house, but before we give it to you, you have to sign this piece of paper that says if this money isn’t legal for you to use for building a house, it’s your problem,’” said Mayor Reeves.

The city maintains its readiness to proceed once proper funding arrangements are secured without the liability stipulation. Tim Kinsella emphasized that stewardship agreements typically don’t require recipient organizations to validate the legality of funding sources.

Infrastructure Concerns

Transportation Solutions: A Tanyard Neighborhood Association representative proposed installing temporary roundabouts at key intersections to address the increasing traffic congestion resulting from new development. Public Works Director Amy Tootle outlined ongoing major stormwater projects, including the B Street project and Garden Street improvements designed to alleviate flooding along Main Street.

VEO Scooter Program Ending: Mayor Reeves explained the decision to discontinue the VEO scooter contract based on usage data showing the service primarily functioned as downtown entertainment rather than commuter transportation. The vast majority of usage occurred between 10 p.m. and midnight on two to three downtown streets, with minimal actual commuting usage.

Red Light Camera Expansion: Resident inquiries about expanding the red light camera program beyond current pilot locations received detailed responses about the data-driven selection of the five current intersections based on accident and injury statistics.

Community Policing and Public Safety

Acting Police Chief Kristin Brown addressed several policing-related concerns:

Federal Immigration Enforcement: The department has designated one detective as an ICE liaison as required by federal mandate, involving only a four-hour online course. The existing practice of including notification forms with arrests of suspected undocumented individuals who commit crimes continues unchanged.

Community Engagement: Chief Brown acknowledged the challenge of building community trust and emphasized her commitment to meeting with residents throughout the city to understand community concerns and explain department operations.

License Plate Readers: The department will receive 18 license plate readers through a grant program, with placement decisions incorporating input from each district about problem areas.

Housing and Gentrification Concerns

District 7 resident Jermaine Williams raised pointed concerns about gentrification affecting the area’s historically Black community. He observed significant demographic changes and requested the establishment of an oversight committee to ensure community representation in major development decisions affecting Baptist Hospital and the Pensacola Motor Lodge properties.

• Councilman Wiggins assured residents of his commitment to inclusive development processes, emphasizing that no one is more passionate about ensuring community voices are heard in these major projects.

Another resident reinforced concerns about housing affordability, noting that while housing may be “attainable,” it’s not truly “affordable” for many residents who can maintain homeownership, leading to displacement to outlying county areas.

Support Our Journalism

If you like our reporting, consider buying us a cup of coffee – here. Your donation will help broaden our reporting. Thank you.