The Pensacola City Council meeting stretched past two and a half hours Thursday night as dozens of residents packed chambers to oppose hiring Bayou District Consulting to guide the planning for the redevelopment of the former Baptist Hospital campus, ultimately forcing Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) chair Teniade Broughton to pull the item from the agenda.
The contentious vote would have approved a contract with the New Orleans-based firm to develop a master plan for the 50-acre west side property. However, community pressure and a dramatic reversal by District 7 Councilman Delarian Wiggins—who represents the neighborhood—stopped the process completely.
- Who is Bayou District Consulting? Many the principals are the same as those of the Bayou District Foundation, which is behind the Columbia Parc development in New Orleans. Local team members include Clark Partington, Jerry Pate Design, Geosyntec, SMP Architecture (Brian Spencer), and Impact Campaigns (Travis Peterson).
“Shady and Sneaky”
Public speakers opposed the contract, with criticism centering on both the selection process and Bayou District’s track record.
- “DC Reeves and his clique of developers who run this city predetermined that they wanted this company to do the work,” said Sarah Brummet, noting the mayor invited Bayou District principal Gerry Barousse to meet with local developers in 2023, then took Pensacola leaders to tour the firm’s Columbia Parc project in New Orleans in 2024. “It wasn’t rushed and it wasn’t murky. It was just shady and sneaky and totally undemocratic the way this city does business.”
Community organizer Jermaine Williams took credit for bringing a standing-room crowd, drawing cheers when he asked opponents to stand. “I told y’all this day was coming, Black people going to wake up,” he said, criticizing council members for ignoring previous warnings about community resistance.
- Hale Morrissette demanded a community advisory board, a transparent procurement process, and an anti-displacement ordinance before any redevelopment moves forward.
Council Division
Councilman Jared Moore argued the city’s acquisition of the property represented “nothing short of a miracle” that gave the community a voice it wouldn’t have had if Baptist had simply sold to a private developer. He contended concerns about displacement were already addressed in the RFP.
But Councilman Charles Bare raised red flags about the process itself. He noted the local partnership submitting the proposal wasn’t formed until September 23, less than two weeks before their October 3 bid submission. “This was kind of cobbled together to give some local people the ability to influence,” Bare said, suggesting the RFP may have been written to favor a predetermined bidder.
Wiggins’ Reversal
The pivotal moment came when Councilman Wiggins, who had been negotiating with city staff about establishing a citizens advisory board, announced he was voting no.
- “Something shifted in me tonight, and what shifted is hearing the hurt in your voices,” Wiggins said. “Tonight, I’m going to make a trust decision. I stand with my community.”
Wiggins laid out his non-negotiables: affordable housing at all levels, protection from displacement, local involvement over outside interests, and community engagement in every step. “Any deal done without community involvement will not get my vote,” he declared.
- Targeted: Less than 90 minutes before the city council meeting, the PNJ published a story online that Wiggins had been invited to make a recommendation of the RFP selection committee but didn’t make one. The story was based on emails obtained from City Hall. When questioned by the newspaper, Wiggins didn’t back off of his comments at the CRA meeting on Monday.
What’s Next
Mayor DC Reeves defended the city’s involvement, arguing it prevented the campus from being “left behind” to rot like abandoned hospitals in other cities. But he deferred to Wiggins on the timeline, saying the administration would be “at the ready” when the councilman wants to begin a community process.
- With demolition of the hospital buildings proceeding separately, Reeves warned the delay means there will be “a large field there for an extra year” before any redevelopment can begin. A new procurement process would take at least 132 days.
Wiggins said he’ll focus on ensuring proper demolition and asbestos abatement before returning to council with a community-driven vision. “I’m going to make sure my constituency, my community has input in what goes on at Baptist.”
- By pulling the item rather than forcing a losing vote, Broughton kept the door open to bring it back—but only after the community engagement residents demanded Thursday night.