Mayor D.C. Reeves held his regular press briefing Tuesday morning, touching on everything from a local reality TV star to affordable housing and the future of the Bay Center. Here’s a breakdown of what was covered.
Pensacola Rallies Behind Keyla Richardson
The mayor opened with a personal note, praising the community’s outpouring of support for Pensacola’s own Keyla Richardson, who continues to impress and progress on “American Idol.” Reeves said he traveled to Hollywood to cheer her on in person and spent time with her family over the weekend.
- “She talked about what really pushed her through—seeing all these different businesses, the Graffiti Bridge, all of that support coming from a couple thousand miles away,” Reeves said, noting that Richardson was running on just two hours of sleep the day of her performance due to nerves and anticipation.
The mayor described the moment as a reflection of Pensacola’s civic character. “The fact that we can all get behind Pensacola with consensus and unanimity was pretty cool to see,” he said, adding that the support has had a tangible positive impact on her heading into the next round.
Bay Center Joint Meeting Set for Thursday
Reeves previewed a joint meeting with the Escambia County Commission scheduled for Thursday, focused on the future of the Bay Center. The discussion will center on whether to renovate the aging facility and whether a second venue, which could be a convention center or multi-purpose facility, makes sense.
- The mayor expressed an open mind going in, saying the administration’s goal is to move “from philosophy to tactic.” He also pushed back on the idea that a convention center and a multipurpose facility are mutually exclusive, crediting consultant firm WT with showing him examples where the two coexist effectively—think volleyball courts and large event halls under the same roof as convention space.
The nonprofit Escambia Destination Marketing Organization—not the county’s official DMO— has already signaled opposition to a convention center. Reeves acknowledged receiving their letter but said it’s too early to take sides. “I don’t know that you can form a fully knowledgeable opinion on convention center versus multipurpose yet,” he said, suggesting that city and county leaders may want to visit comparable facilities in other cities before drawing conclusions.
311 Hits Record High
The city’s 311 constituent services line logged a record 1,300 calls in March — the highest single-month total in the program’s history. Reeves framed it as a positive sign, arguing the spike reflects growing public awareness and trust in the service.
- He noted that in 2025, the 311 system answered more than 11,000 calls, routed nearly 5,000 issues, and closed out citizen tickets with an average resolution time of five to seven days. The city has also dramatically reduced its backlog of open tickets — from thousands when Reeves took office to around 40–60 active at any given time.
When I suggested the record call volume might indicate widespread dissatisfaction rather than civic engagement, Reeves acknowledged the fair point, saying sanitation, energy, and public works calls make up the bulk of requests.
- His advice to residents? Skip the text to the mayor and dial 311 instead. “It’s faster to call 311 probably than it is to call me,” he quipped.
FDOT Sits Down with City on 14th & Gregory
Following an in-person meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation, Reeves reported progress on the long-contested intersection improvements at 14th Avenue and Gregory Street. He said having both teams’ engineers in the same room broke a logjam that had been playing out in competing emails.
- The key takeaway, Reeves said, is that both sides now agree there’s a problem. “This would be a lot longer, a lot more painful if one side thought it wasn’t a problem and one side thought it was,” he noted. Both the city and FDOT are expected to continue collaborative work in the coming weeks, with Reeves anticipating a more unified approach going forward.
Motor Lodge Demolition Moves Closer
The city’s Architectural Review Board will take up a demolition permit for the motor lodge property—a resubmission of an application originally filed in November 2023. The CRA-owned site is in contract negotiations with PACES, a nonprofit affordable housing developer.
Reeves said his preferred sequence is to finalize the sale agreement with PACES first, then work out demolition logistics with them—potentially absorbing the cost into the deal structure. He was clear, however, that any sale will carry deed restrictions ensuring the property is developed as affordable housing, not flipped to market rate if a tax credit falls through.
- “The whole reason we took this on was to create some level of affordability,” Reeves said. “You
Because the motor lodge is more than 50 years old, Reeves anticipated a standard 60-day pause on the demolition permit, as is customary for older structures.
Baptist Hospital Update: Town Hall Location Changes
The ongoing community engagement process around the former Baptist Hospital campus is moving its town halls from Fricker Center to Lakeview Center, the gymnasium adjacent to the campus. Reeves cited parking capacity, fewer scheduling conflicts, and upcoming construction at Fricker as reasons for the shift.
Jacobs Engineering and North Star will be present at tomorrow’s meeting, along with PACES to discuss their two affordable housing projects on the campus.
Palafox Street Project: On Track for May 24
The mayor provided a detailed update on the Palafox streetscape project:
- Curb and gutter work: 90% complete, expected to wrap by April 24
- Irrigation: Done
- Pedestrian pavers: 90% complete, done by May 8
- Vehicular pavers: 10% complete, also done by May 8
- Palafox Street full completion: May 24 — still on schedule
The second phase of the project, involving side-street work on cross streets between Baylen and Jefferson, will run through November.
Arbor Day Giveaway This Saturday
On a lighter note, the city will give away 245 native tree seedlings this Saturday, April 18, at Bayview Park as part of Earth Day and Arbor Day festivities. The event runs 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with seedlings available starting just after 10. Ten species are being offered, sourced from local nurseries and funded through the city’s tree trust fund.
