Mayor Reeves Moves Forward on Baptist Hospital Demolition Despite County Funding Uncertainty
Rick Outzen
County Support Remains Unclear After 19 Months.
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves expressed frustration with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Escambia County’s potential contribution to the Baptist Hospital demolition project during a September 16th press conference. After 19 months of discussions, the mayor admitted he has no clear answers about county support.
“I have no idea what’s going to come out of this county commission meeting and what the vote’s going to be and what it’s going to be for,” Reeves told reporters. He acknowledged discussions with Commissioner May about potential county contributions, particularly around $510,000 in abatement money, but added that any proposal would need careful analysis to “make sure that it makes sense for us.”
Will Not Accept ‘Poison Pill’
Despite the funding uncertainty, Reeves made it clear the city won’t let the project stall indefinitely. Drawing on his experience with similar situations, the mayor took a firm stance against endless delays.
“We’re not going to take the poison pill approach,” Reeves stated emphatically. “We’re not going to all stare at empty buildings for a decade and a half and say, well, I can’t believe so-and-so didn’t put in a hundred thousand or this. I am not going to treat our citizens that way.”
To address the funding gap, the City has asked Baptist to change the donation agreement to include six additional parcels around the old Baptist campus, with an assessed value of approximately $1.5 million. The sale or development of these properties could help close an expected $2 million fund gap caused by the county not contributing to the project.
When I pressed about the demolition timeline, Reeves confirmed an aggressive schedule. Assuming the donation agreement closes at the end of September as planned, demolition could begin soon after.
“The wrecking balls start before the end of the year,” the mayor confirmed. “That’s the plan.”
He noted the urgency stems partly from the limited validity period of demolition bids.
Community Engagement Before Development
Before any development plans are finalized, Reeves committed to extensive community outreach. The city plans listening sessions with surrounding neighborhoods and military leadership from nearby bases.
“Make sure we understand exactly what you believe the needs are and what the concerns are heading into this,” Reeves explained. These sessions will occur “before we draw anything, before there’s a poster board, before anything else, before demolition happens.”
The mayor was candid about the long-term nature of the redevelopment effort, setting realistic expectations for completion.
“This project will not be complete while I’m the mayor,” Reeves admitted. “This is going to be a multi-administration, multi-generational project. The best examples of redevelopment, these are 10 to 15 years long.”
He added that while demolition feels challenging now, it will likely prove to be “the easy part” compared to the years of community meetings, planning, and development work ahead. The Oct. 6 city council meeting will provide a comprehensive project update for both elected officials and the public.
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