Strategic Initiatives Project Officer Adrianne Walker sat down with me yesterday to walk through the latest construction details on the $10.7 million project to repave and improve South Palafox Street from Garden Street to Main Street. Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves has made Walker the city’s point person for the project.
1. Where will the fence barrier go?
General Principle:
- The fence will be positioned on the outside of the columns, between the columns and existing planters. This ensures that at least 6 feet of pedestrian space is maintained at all times
- All business storefronts will remain accessible during construction
East Side vs. West Side Differences:
- East Side: Fencing generally follows the drip line along the balconies, with some variations due to architectural features—some buildings have balconies that extend farther, while others have narrower overhangs.
- West Side: The fencing placement is influenced by the America’s 1st Settlement Trail line, which runs between the balcony posts and planters on the west side of South Palafox. The fencing will be set up between the trail line and the storefront.
Flexibility
- The fence won’t be a perfectly straight line due to architectural variations – buildings aren’t uniform downtown
Design Features
- The fencing will be aesthetically pleasing with artwork/vinyl wraps—not just plain construction barriers.
- The plan will include way-finding signage.
- The goal is to avoid having people just stare at bare construction fencing.
2. What will happen to the outdoor seating for restaurants and bars?
Fee Waiver Proposal
- The mayor is proposing to waive outdoor seating arrangement fees for 2026. This requires council approval.
Case-by-Case Approach
- The need to maintain the mandatory 6-foot pedestrian path (this is a code requirement and non-negotiable)
- Some businesses may have more latitude than others because they have more available sidewalk space.
- Walker suggested taking January into February to see what it really looks like before making final decisions
Creative Solutions Being Explored
Alternative seating locations:
- East Intendencia Street – identified as a potential pop-up seating area since it’s the only side street without access to private parking lots or a need for vehicular access.
- Plaza Ferdinand – possibly accommodating some nearby businesses.
- Neighboring businesses – some businesses have reached out, saying their neighbors are okay with them placing tables in front of adjacent storefronts.
3. How long will the demolition of the street last?
Demolition Phase Details
Timeline Estimate: 60 days
Uncertainties:
-
- “Like a home improvement project – you don’t know what you don’t know until you get into it,” said Walker.
- Weather dependent
- The concrete areas make it trickier
- Potential for unexpected discoveries (Palafox Tunnels????)
Scope and Nature
Demolition throughout the entire street:
- All demolition would happen first, working from north and south toward the middle.
- This is the loudest and most impactful part of the project.
- Demolition would be required no matter what approach they took – even a simpler mill and overlay would require demolition.
What happens after:
- As soon as demolition is done in one section, the next crew comes right behind
- It’s a cycle: demolition; stormwater installation; crosswalks;
pavers - Different subs follow in sequence
Work Hours
24 hours a day, 7 days a week
- Demolition is the loudest activity.
- As the project progresses, it gets quieter (laying stormwater pipe is not as loud as demolition)
- The contractor will have daytime and nighttime points of contact if adjustments are needed.
Archaeological Considerations
Cultural resources monitoring:
- An archaeologist will be present during demolition.
- They’re looking for human remains and unexploded cannonballs.
- If found, they must be treated properly.
- However, this won’t be like the FP&L project, where archaeologists documented and photographed everything and stopped construction frequently.
Contractor Approach
Site and Utility:
- Without prompting, they emphasized being local: “We live here in Pensacola and we care about Pensacola.”
- They want to eat lunch at businesses and shop there while working
- Willing to accommodate citizens and business owners to ease impacts
- Open to adjusting timing of certain activities based on noise and disruption concerns
Staging and Logistics
All contained within Palafox:
- No other staging or lay down areas needed
- All staging and lay down happen within the project area
- This means no trucks interfering in other parts of downtown – “that’s significant.”
4. Can people cross Palafox once the construction begins?
- There will be pedestrian crossings during construction, allowing people to move from one side of Palafox to the other.
5. How many parking spaces will be lost once the project is completed?
Nineteen parking spaces will be lost throughout the stretch from Garden to Main Street. The most noticeable losses will be the first two parking bays on the east and west sides of South Palafox Street – by Ride Society and Global Grill on the west, and Fosko’s and Wild Greg’s Saloon on the west side.
- The city hopes to gain back some parking spaces if it can coordinate work at the Garden Street intersection with FDOT, but those talks are still ongoing.
To see the artist’s renderings, visit thenewpalafox.com.