The sharp divide between Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves and Escambia County Commission Chair Mike Kohler has narrowed little over the summer when it comes to whether the county should contribute to demolishing Baptist Hospital’s abandoned campus in the West Moreno District.
Contrasting Viewpoints
Speaking at his press conference this morning, Mayor Reeves maintained an optimistic tone about upcoming negotiations, announcing a Thursday meeting with County Attorney Alison Rogers and County Administrator Wes Moreno.
- “This is the absolute final effort,” Reeves said, emphasizing that the project represents a regional benefit extending beyond city limits. “You don’t even know where the city limit line is. It changes block by block.”
However, County Commission Chair Kohler painted a far bleaker picture in a subsequent phone interview with Inweekly, flatly stating his opposition to any county contribution from the general fund. “Nobody believes we should bail out Baptist. Nobody,” Kohler stated.
- At the heart of Kohler’s opposition lies his view that Baptist Health, which he characterized as “a billion-dollar company,” should handle the cleanup itself, especially after receiving $7 million in state funding. He said, “Why wouldn’t they just clean up their property? I just don’t get it.”
The county chair’s criticism extends to Baptist’s financial history with the project. According to Kohler, when Baptist applied for the bonds, they committed up to $50 million for the Moreno area project in TEFRA documents but ultimately invested only $3 million before seeking state assistance.
- “As soon as they got that, they funded $678 million. And then they went to the state and said, “We need help to bail this out,” Kohler explained. “That’s not right.”
Now or Never
Mayor Reeves stressed urgency, citing examples of abandoned hospitals in Birmingham and New Orleans that have blighted communities for 15-20 years.
- “We can’t find one community that’s ever taken an abandoned hospital this size, gotten into a public-private partnership, and gotten it taken down in this short amount of time,” he said, framing the project as keeping “eyes on the prize,” to avoid leaving the neighborhood behind.
The political mathematics appear challenging for the mayor. At the presser, I pointed out that the mayor needs a third vote, assuming Commissioners Lumon May and Ashlee Hofberger support the county contribution. The mayor needs to convince either Kohler or Commissioner Steven Stroberger to vote for the contribution.
However, Kohler expressed skepticism about finding three votes for any general fund contribution. “I don’t think there’s three votes for any money out of the general fund. I just don’t see that happening.”
- One potential compromise involves $500,000 from neighborhood services designated for environmental abatement, which Kohler suggested he wouldn’t “lose any heartache” over if approved. However, he remained adamant about protecting the general fund, arguing that it would be unfair to county employees and taxpayers.
The mayor has attempted to sweeten the deal by proposing property transfers as part of the arrangement, moving some parcels from right-of-first-refusal status to donation agreements. This change, scheduled for a Thursday city council vote, aims to provide additional value to potential county partners while protecting the project’s timeline.
- Reeves pushed back against suggestions that the city has been unresponsive, noting that Thursday’s meeting will mark the third formal session with county staff in five months. “Any conversation that we haven’t been in communication with the county is not accurate.”
The Thursday meeting between Reeves and county staff may determine how this project moves forward. With Baptist Health already securing significant state funding, the question remains whether local taxpayers should contribute additional resources to expedite the demolition of its vacant hospital campus.