Bob Sikes Fishing Pier South Rehabilitation Project
Wednesday, Jan. 29
Santa Rosa Island Authority, 1 Via de Luna Drive, Pensacola Beach
The public meeting will be held immediately after the regularly scheduled SRIA board meeting, which begins at 5 p.m.
Staff will share the preliminary concept of the project, outline the proposed next steps, discuss the proposed timeline and answer any questions about the project.
The Bob Sikes Fishing Pier South Rehabilitation Project is funded by a federal RESTORE grant and a Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment grant. The RESTORE grant will fund the inspection and engineering required to produce fishing pier rehabilitation plans, and the NRDA grant will fund the addition of ADA-compliant pedestrian railing, pier deck lighting, and informational and educational signage.
Hollice T. Williams Stormwater Park Project Kickoff Event
6-7:30 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 30
E.S. Cobb Community Center, 601 East Mallory St.
The City of Pensacola is kicking off the 12-month design and engineering project to reimagine Hollice T. Williams Park and the Long Hollow Stormwater Pond.
The project will focus on improving the 1.3-mile park area and amenities, expanding and beautifying the stormwater pond, and connecting the park and pond to the surrounding neighborhoods. With input from the neighborhood, the city hopes to create a beautiful, resilient, and interconnected park that celebrates local heritage and supports community gathering for future generations.
The community event is the first of several outreach and engagement events to be held over the next several months to collect ideas, input, and feedback on the park and stormwater pond design and amenities. The event will feature discussions on the history of the land and neighborhood, a project overview and timeline, and a brief survey. The project team spearheading these efforts includes Geosyntec Consultants, Michael Van Valkenburgh & Associates, and Jerry Pate Landscape Design.
Mayor D.C. Reeves, who led this most recent effort to improve the park, says the design and expansion of Hollice T. Williams Park and the Long Hollow Stormwater Pond are a generational opportunity for Pensacola.
“Just a few generations ago, this area under the Interstate was a vibrant neighborhood, which we now know as the ‘Lost Neighborhood.’ I’m hopeful that this project will culminate with a park design that is worthy of the people who lived — and live — there and be an exciting, engaging community space for generations to come,” says Reeves.
Over the past 20 years, several efforts have been made to improve the Hollice T. Williams Park area, which was left when hundreds of residents were displaced during the construction of the I-110 overpass in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The current park design effort, following the recent Equitable Development Framework Plan and the City’s new Strategic Plan, will work to involve residents in the planning process and integrate the history of the Lost Neighborhood into the overall park design.
Long Hollow Stormwater Pond, largely hidden from public view, is located adjacent to Hollice T. Williams Park and is one of a series of retention areas that overflowed during the 2014 rainstorm. This contributed to massive flooding in downtown Pensacola and untreated water runoff into Pensacola Bay. The Hollice T. Williams Design and Expansion project aims to address these and other stormwater issues by expanding the Long Hollow Pond and improving flood control throughout the park area.
Ultimately, park planners hope that with community input and feedback, this project will connect neighborhoods and create a space that all Pensacolians can enjoy and be proud of.
Pensacola CRA Community Redevelopment Plans
6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 6
Pensacola Library, 239 N. Spring St.
This is the final public meeting and open house to update its three community redevelopment plans. The plans outline future community improvements and can be used as the basis for obtaining funding for specific CRA projects.
The CRA and its consulting team, led by Urban Design Associates, will present the designs and recommendations for opportunity sites, open spaces and rights of way within the CRA districts. The presentation will be followed by an open house, where participants can walk around to stations set up for each district, view the recommendations, and ask questions of the team members. Light refreshments will be served, and children are welcome and encouraged to participate.
Attendees will have a final opportunity to be entered into the drawing for the 55″ television giveaway. The drawing will be Feb. 10, and the winner will be contacted by CRA staff.
The community redevelopment plans for the Eastside, Westside, and Urban Core CRA Districts were completed in 2004, 2007, and 2010. The boundaries for each district can be viewed on the city’s website.
