City Hall

And Gibson School Could Be Given Away

The mayor says the city has studied noise on the Birdon project more than “the history of the city combined” and wants a private partner to save the historic school.

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said Tuesday that he wants to send the Birdon term sheet to Triumph Gulf Coast this week. City and Birdon leaders were set to spend Tuesday afternoon behind closed doors working through lease details.

• “I can’t think of a larger lease consequence that the city has had in a long, long time,” Reeves said at his weekly press conference. “So we’re going to make sure it’s right.”

The full lease isn’t required for Triumph’s third round, only the term sheet. Reeves said the two are moving on parallel tracks, and a long in-person meeting can accomplish what would take a week by email.

Noise Is the Non-Starter

With the Seville Neighborhood Association board meeting this week, Reeves was asked what he would tell residents. His answer: noise protections will be written into the lease.

“I guarantee you we’ve spent more time and energy and money studying noise on this project than the history of the city combined.”

Two studies. Birdon conducted its own noise study, which came back at suitable levels. The city hired HDR to review the results. “We’re not going to just take one firm’s word for it,” Reeves said.

• One facility is moving. A facility in the original design will be relocated to a different side of the port, not because it was hazardous, but “to take out any threat of there being a noise issue.”

The study goes public. The final noise study will be presented to the city council at a public meeting.

Project Highlights

• Scale: A $104 million building and 2,000 jobs, compared to American Magic’s $18 million building and about 120 jobs.
• Parking: The city is discussing off-site employee parking with a short shuttle ride, similar to Mobile, Ala.
• Inland port: Some of the jobs could go there.
• Changing terms: Reeves said requests from both sides have likely shifted as Triumph, Florida Commerce and U.S. Commerce funding added their own rules, but nothing he sees puts the project in jeopardy.

Old Gibson School: Shore It Up, Then Give It Away

A consultant told the CRA board on Monday that a full renovation of the old Gibson school would cost $6.4 million, about $380 per square foot for the 17,700-square-foot building. Mothballing it would cost $2 million.

Reeves said there are options in between. The city will pursue a cheaper, temporary stabilization, then, with CRA board approval, likely issue an RFI or RFP offering the building and property to a business or philanthropist who agrees to restore it.

“We will give you this building. We will give you this property if you restore and keep this building.”

The pitch to buyers. Anyone shopping for an 18,000-square-foot office would likely pay about $380 a foot to build new. Restoring Gibson would cost about the same.

• The deed restriction. Reeves envisions something like a National Register protection: the property could be sold years from now, but the building couldn’t be demolished. The CRA board would approve who goes in.

Don’t expect to be picky. An incubator for artists and small businesses would be “such a cool thing,” Reeves said, but at $6.4 million the city may not have “the luxury of being able to be that selective.” He pointed to the Coca-Cola building on Palafox, restored by a private business, as a model.

• He also reminded reporters that without the city stepping in, the school district would have sold the building to a private developer “and this building would’ve already been demolished.”

Other Items

Port upgrades: The port projects before council Thursday are FDOT-funded and not tied to any tenant. Berth 6, which has a weight limit, needs a roughly $15 million renovation, and Reeves hinted at “very good news” on it soon. The $10–11 million road and rail project is 50% complete.

Tree ordinance: The ordinance, developed with Councilman Moore, goes before council Thursday. It focuses on heritage live oaks 100 years and older, with inch-for-inch replacement and a $1,000 application fee.

Chappie James Memorial plane: The city hasn’t heard from General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Memorial Foundation. The mayor is exploring relocating the fighter jet that the Air Force donated for the memorial to Booker T. Washington High School, where academy students could maintain it. Taxpayers are paying storage costs while it sits on base.