Hoteliers are upset over the $90-million plan to use the fifth cent of the bed tax to cover the bonds to renovate the Pensacola Bay Center and build an indoor sports facility at Ashton Brosnaham Park.
- The proposal includes a $60 million indoor sports facility at Brosnaham Park, and $30 million for the Bay Center. The bond would require annual payments of up to $6 million for 30 years.
Opposition: TDC board member Jim Reeves wrote a viewpoint: “Rush to spend $90 million on sports complex and Bay Center upgrade is short-sighted and wrong.”
Pensacola City Councilman Casey Jones wrote: “As the president of the Pensacola City Council and a member of the TDC, I find this troubling and potentially detrimental to our community’s future…Both Councilwoman Teniadé Broughton and I were fulfilling our duties at the City Council agenda conference when this crucial vote was taken, effectively silencing the voice of city leadership in this county-wide decision. This timing raises serious questions about the desire for comprehensive stakeholder involvement in decisions that will impact our entire community for generations. I strongly echo the sentiments expressed by Jim Reeves in his recent column, calling for a more measured and inclusive approach to this significant investment.”
Flip the Script
Since the TDC vote in early September, some hoteliers have said that they prefer Populous’s plan for a major remake of the Pensacola Bay Center and the creation of a Plaza District.
The “Flip the Script” option:
- Expands the East Entrance (Ninth Avenue side – 16,500 sq. ft. with new circulations, escalators, concessions, meeting space and storage.
- Club Level – 10,000 sq. ft. with new circulations, concessions, and restrooms. Additionally, a new 5,700 sf balcony, with six rows of fixed seats and one row of bar rail.
- Premium Seating W/ Club Level Access—Remove 470 fixed seats and transform existing meeting rooms into a 6,000-sf club. This includes premium food and beverage offerings, restrooms, a bar rail, and high-top seating.
- Premium Restaurant/Bar – 8,500 sf restaurant and bar, creation of 150 new seats
- Bunker Club: Conversion of another 5,000 sf of existing space into a premium club
- Premium Floor Seating Area – private club access.
The option also has a Plaza District component:
- a practice ice rink,
- 50,000 sq event center, and
- plaza space with retail and restaurant options.
Budget – $136.3 million
Bay Center $66.5 million
- 3A North / East Expansion: $44,435,739
- 3B Premium Restaurant Bar: $5,048,815
- 3C Bunker Club & Premium Seating: $3,334,177
- 3D Club Level+Premium Seating: $4,154,323
- 3E Event Center Connection: $6,334,688
- 3F Main Kitchen Renovation: $3,231,785
Plaza District $69.8 million
- 4A Practice Ice Rink: $21,051,776
- 4B Event Center: $36,618,578
- 4C Grand Plaza: $4,986,970
- 4D Service / Loading: $2,616,525
- 4E West Parking Lot: $2,446,151
- 4F Retention Pond: $2,113,263
What I find interesting is this plan was presented to the Tourist Development Council on Dec. 12, 2023, no one made a motion to approve this or any of the options. Neither Visit Pensacola, Jim Reeves, Councilman Casey Jones nor any hotelier has promoted the Flip the Script option until now.
No one has asked for another public meeting to discuss it, but we are asked to believe the hoteliers think this is the best option.
Notice the Populous plan has no indoor sports facility. Here are:
- Improvement Concepts: Bay Center and Multi Use Facility-1
- Full Report Given to TDC: 12_12_23 TDC Back Up
Not perfect but definitely better than having a large community center called a sports facility on 10 mile road!
If we want to build a community center let’s build that, with Local option sales taxes…and have a solid smart tourism driving facility downtown, near the water, and make it as others have commented a destination!
I truly believe the newly released “populous” plan makes much more sense. You will be gaining very little new hotel bed usage and very limited new tax revenue with the indoor field house off TenMile Rd. . Pensacola has been missing a potential “gold mine” in new hotel bed usage and new tax revenue with the lack of a major and modern downtown entertainment center for many years now. I have long stated that if you want to increase your tax revenue, properly grow your community (good growth plans are necessary and not evil), and become a popular permanent destination and tourist destination, you need to give a little to get a lot. Good growth will eventually provide the necessary funds for needed infrastructure improvements. Now, if we keep trying to chase infrastructure improvements with current funding, we will continue to lose ground. The proposed “populous” is the answer. We desperately need to take advantage of Pensacola’s spectacular location, and turn this area into the extremely desirable destination location it should be, and easily can be, with the start of a beautiful entertainment facility. If Pensacola remains on it’s current path, it will fade into a downtrodden historical has been city, swimming in problems and issues, with only the thoughts of what could have been while other surrounding urban areas pass us by.
Flash back to March 2004? “Gindroz Plan”, page 20. https://www.cityofpensacola.com/DocumentCenter/View/348/Pensacola-Historic-District-Master-Plan—Overview-of-Recommendations-PDF.
Same theme, slightly different take. Get rid of the interstate loop d loop, and redevelop the “back” parking lot to accommodate exhibition type space. Maybe the time is finally here…
I think most people expected to see more of this plan come forward after much needed public input sessions. While this plan isn’t perfect, it makes more sense to add density to an area that already has much of the necessary infrastructure. Before a large amount of money is spent on anything publicly funded, citizens should have a chance to share ideas and visioning.