The City of Pensacola’s Eastside neighborhood is on the cusp of transformation. After months of extensive community engagement and careful planning, the Pensacola City Council will have the second public hearing on Thursday, June 12, to approve the Eastside Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Plan Update. Take a look at the plan.
Why this matters: The plan presents a roadmap for preserving the area’s rich Black heritage while creating new opportunities for residents and businesses. Once a thriving community, an all-white Pensacola City Council voted to demolish portions of the neighborhood in the late 1970s for Interstate 110 construction, creating the “Lost Community.”
Community-Led Planning Process
What makes this plan special is how deeply it’s rooted in community input. From 2024 through 2025, residents and stakeholders led the planning process through listening workshops, stakeholder meetings, and an interactive mapping tool that gathered over 750 comments from 213 contributors.
The community identified clear priorities:
- Affordable housing that allows existing residents to remain in the neighborhood
- Better access to daily necessities like grocery stores and neighborhood services
- Improved walkability and safety along major corridors
- Celebration of the area’s unique history through preservation and storytelling
- Enhanced parks and community spaces that bring residents together
In October 2024, Inweekly interviewed George Grace, who lives on MLK Jr. Drive. He attended the workshops and shared his appreciation for the processes. Grace had concerns about converting MLK into a two-way street.
“It’s going to create more traffic for MLK because the majority of traffic that flows south is on MLK, and then if you’re leaving downtown, MLK is closer to going north, so why go to Davis?” Grace said. “Our concern is it’s going to put even more stress on the road because of the proximity of MLK to downtown.”
Grace felt better about the situation after a CRA representative mentioned the possibility of adding stop signs to mitigate the traffic. He appreciated the opportunity to engage with CRA officials and provide meaningful input.
“Before, (city officials) did what they wanted to do without any input from the citizens,” he said. “They made their own decisions, sort of backdoor decisions, but this is good because at least they’re listening. Hopefully, they take away from what the people who actually live in the neighborhoods have to say about the changes that may come forth.”
Six Big Ideas for Transformation
The plan centers on six Special Demonstration Projects that could catalyze positive change throughout the district:
1. Crystal Ice House Market
Transform the historic Crystal Ice Company building into a vibrant community marketplace and gathering space that honors the neighborhood’s history while providing economic opportunities.
2. Eastside Infill Housing
Develop diverse, affordable housing options that complement the existing architectural character while providing opportunities for local entrepreneurs to participate in development.
3. Hollice T. Williams Park Improvements
Enhance this central community asset with better programming, amenities, and connections to surrounding neighborhoods, guided by the Equitable Development Framework Plan.
4. Hayne Street Improvements
Create safer, more walkable conditions along this important neighborhood connector.
5. Dr. MLK Jr. Drive and Davis Highway Streetscapes
Transform these major corridors from highway-like roads back to neighborhood-serving streets with improved safety, walkability, and character.
6. Gonzalez Street Shareway
Develop innovative shared-use transportation solutions that better connect the neighborhood to downtown and other amenities.
Addressing Real Challenges
The plan doesn’t shy away from the Eastside’s current challenges. With a poverty rate of 25% (compared to 14% citywide) and a median household income of $38,000 (versus $69,000 citywide), residents face real economic pressures. The plan addresses these through strategies for:
- Economic development that creates local job opportunities
- Small business incubation and capacity building
- Workforce development partnerships
- Anti-displacement measures to prevent gentrification
Looking Forward
The Eastside CRA Plan Update represents a community vision for how a historically significant neighborhood can thrive while honoring its past. With Tax Increment Financing (TIF) funding available through 2045, the CRA has the tools and timeline needed to implement these transformative ideas.
Previous City administrations failed to turn the Eastside CRA plan into reality. Mayor D.C. Reeves has repeatedly said he sees the update as a golden opportunity to break through and better the lives of thousands of residents.
- “People who live there want increased walkability and bikeability. They want, obviously, housing opportunities, all those types of things,” Reeves said. “Now I have to go figure out how to do all this. That’s my job.”
Makes me Pensacola proud! The current City Administration is doing a great job improving the City during these troubling times in America. Well done.