The Business Alliance of Escambia and Santa Rosa counties issued their collective position on OLF-8 in support of job growth, following the masterplan, and keeping the light industrial-zoned property public. To protect the master plan and ensure its implementation, the business leaders are asking the Board of County Commissioners to deed the acreage designated for light-industrial use to the Pensacola Escambia Development Commission, the county’s statutorily created economic development agency.
The Business Alliance is a group of local business owners chaired by UWF president Dr. Martha Saunders and Florida Power & Light vice president J.T. Young.
These are the members:
Achieve Escambia
Another Broken Egg
Ascension Sacred Heart
Baptist Health Care
Baskerville Donovan
Cat Country/ADX Communications
Clear Title
Cox Communications
Emmanuel Sheppard & Condon
Escambia Co. Schools Foundation
Florida Blue
Florida Power & Light
Florida West EDA
Florida’s Great Northwest
FSU Credit Union
Gibson & Associates
Gilmore
Grace Hebert Curtis Architects
Greater Pensacola Chamber of Commerce Greika Realty
Gulf Breeze Chamber of Commerce
Gulf Coast Kids House
Gulf Coast Minority Chamber of Commerce
Hancock Whitney
HCA Florida West Hospital
Institute for Human & Machine Cognition
LandrumHR
LifeView Group
MidSouth Bank
Moorhead Law Group
Nemours
NW Florida Defense Coalition
PenAir Credit Union
Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce
Pensacola Habitat for Humanity
Pensacola State College
Perdido Key Chamber of Commerce
Saltmarsh, Cleveland, & Gund, CPA
ServisFirst Bank
The Lewis Bear Company
University of West Florida
The group met last month and approved these positions:
• From the beginning, the OLF-8 land swap was intended to protect a valuable community asset by preserving and supporting the operations of Naval Air StaCon WhiCng Field, specifically its activities related to OLF-8.
• Another benefit of the land swap, from its inception, was the potential for OLF-8 to serve as an asset for economic development and growth, particularly in terms of job creation.
• Escambia County has limited land resources zoned adequately to support ongoing efforts to attract new companies (and jobs) to the area, as well as retain growing industries that require expansion space.
• To remain competitive with neighboring regions, such as Alabama and Mississippi, it is imperative that Escambia County retain public ownership over its industrial-zoned real estate inventory and further develop it to a shovel-ready condition.
• Transferring the “commerce park” portion of the DPZ Master Plan to the Pensacola-Escambia Development Commission (PEDC) will ensure public ownership and provide the local economic development organization with the inventory needed to achieve its objectives of recruiting and retaining businesses, thereby promoting job and economic growth for the citizens of Escambia County.
• Additionally, ownership of the “commerce park” by PEDC will lead to a more financially stable economic development effort, allowing the organiza5on to retain tangible assets and generate future revenue from leasing various parcels throughout the park.
• While the Business Alliance supports the commissioners’ efforts to address the needs of residents near OLF-8 through the Master Development Plan—particularly the mixed-use aspects of the property—the Alliance believes that an independent appraiser’s current market valuation is necessary to adequately market and negotiate the sale of the mixed-use portion to private developers.
DIG DEEPER: David Bear sent this letter to the commissioners yesterday:
Commissioners,
Good morning. I’m pleased to formally introduce the Business Alliance, an organization of local business owners and community leaders dedicated to supporting initiatives that enhance our local economy. About a year ago, we recognized the need for a group where the business community could come together to discuss and provide input on issues of significant importance. For too long, this space for collective dialogue and advocacy has been missing.
Since our formation, we have focused on key projects, including OLF8. After meeting to discuss the project, surveying our members, and reviewing available information, we adopted a position we believe represents the best path forward for the future of this critical property. To ensure our members were well-informed, we reviewed the 25-year history of the land swap and the county’s original vision for the project. We also analyzed the UWF Haas Center’s economic impact study, which compares two distinct development scenarios for the 46 acres currently under consideration by three potential job-creating businesses, as well as the DPZ Master Plan for the property’s development.
Attached, you will find the Business Alliance’s official position letter, a list of our current and growing membership, and the UWF Haas Center report. As you evaluate the offers from private developers, we urge you to carefully consider our position. Members of our organization would greatly value the opportunity to meet with each of you individually to discuss this matter further, address any questions, and hear your perspectives.
Thank you for your time, attention, and leadership.
Sincerely,
David M. Bear
The Lewis Bear Company
Attachment: OLF-8-Business-Alliance-and-Economic-Impact-Model