ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

PEDC Weighs Tech Park Parking Math, LOST Stakes as Platé Touts Pipeline Rebound

The board debated how to pay for a parking garage at the long-dormant site and heard a pointed warning about what happens if both the LOST renewal and the state’s property tax push land on voters at the same time.

The Pensacola-Escambia Promotion & Development Commission (PEDC) board met Tuesday to review FloridaWest’s economic indicators, project pipeline, and the slow-moving effort to finally activate the Tech Park—land that board member Dave Hoxeng noted has sat vacant for roughly two decades.

FloridaWest CEO Chris Platé opened with the numbers: April unemployment ticked up to 5% from 4.9%, with the county’s labor force holding in its familiar range of roughly 149,000 to 151,000 people. Plate said anecdotal signs on the ground suggest the real number may be closer to 4.5%, and noted that global volatility—the Iran conflict, fuel prices, and midterm uncertainty—had slowed project activity before a recent rebound.

• The numbers behind that rebound: 23 to 24 projects in FloridaWest’s pipeline since October 1, 2025, split roughly between aerospace (13%), cyber/defense (13%), maritime (26%), and general manufacturing (48%). Of 19 active prospects, five companies have been announced since October, representing $184 million in investment (204% of goal) and 485 jobs announced (162% of goal).

Tech Park: Who Pays for Parking?

The board’s longest discussion centered on the Tech Park, where FloridaWest is working with Grace Designs on elevations for a first spec building and examining financing options that mix traditional loans, bond financing, and Triumph Gulf Coast dollars.

Council President Allison Patton told the board a recent meeting with the city clarified that the site’s long-assumed height restrictions—tied to the old Gateway Review District Board—are variances, not hard caps, and that the district no longer has its own review board. Project plans now go to the city’s planning board instead.

Commissioner Steven Barry zeroed in on what that means in practice: more flexibility on building height, and by extension, on the parking garage planned for the property’s northwest corner.

“We can’t put a hundred million dollars into a neighboring facility and not have parking.”
—Commissioner Steven Barry

Barry argued that adding stories to a parking deck lowers the per-space cost significantly—by 5 to 6% with each additional floor, he said once the expensive first floor is built. The board floated the idea of retail space on the garage’s ground floor and discussed whether a third party should finance and operate the structure, with the public sector possibly contributing land or a modest subsidy. Patton suggested bringing in someone who does.

• Geotechnical results came back favorable for a four-story building, with a structural engineer still needed to assess the wind load
• FloridaWest is in talks with financial institutions on traditional and bond financing, with Triumph Gulf Coast as a possible additional source

Board Approves Consultant Funding for Capital Projects

The board approved up to $15,000 in funding for a consultant to provide capital projects support over the next several months, after Platé explained FloridaWest needs dedicated help managing Central Commerce, Midtown, and related work under tight timelines tied to a letter of intent.

• Board members pushed back initially on the scope, with Barry questioning the hourly rate and the length of commitment before the figure was scaled down from FloridaWest’s original ask. Hoxeng raised a longer-term question: whether the organization should instead pursue funding from the county for a permanent staff position dedicated to capital projects, rather than repeatedly contracting it out.

CoLab and Marketing Gains

Plate reported CoLab is now down to four available units after collecting on outstanding rent, with the goal of reaching 80–90% utilization. Tenants accepted a rent increase tied to rising costs after being offered additional value, including mentoring and shared access to professional services like legal support.

• On marketing, Plate said a new agency relationship has driven major growth in social media reach: organic social media activity grew from roughly 3,800 monthly average to 17,000 in April, then to 77,000 by mid-June. Facebook impressions hit 76,000, LinkedIn rose 50%, and Instagram was up 30% month-over-month.

Hoxeng’s Warning: LOST and Property Tax Could Collide

In partner updates, board member Dave Hoxeng announced he is joining the community effort to support renewal of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), which Escambia County commissioners have chosen to put to voters this fall. A group of business leaders led by Bruce Vredenburg is working to raise awareness of how much local infrastructure depends on the penny sales tax—much of it funded by visitors rather than residents.

“We have those two freight trains coming down the tracks in our community, and I’m very concerned as a citizen.”
—Board member Dave Hoxeng, on LOST renewal and the state property tax proposal arriving on ballots together

Hoxeng said he’d recently heard Florida’s presumptive incoming governor tell a broadcasters’ conference that if the state’s property tax measure fails to clear the 60% threshold this round, a state tax commission that meets once every 20 years would put a similar measure back on the ballot within two years regardless—meaning the issue isn’t going away even if voters reject it this fall.

Barry argued any push for property tax relief should be driven by citizen demand rather than handed down from Tallahassee, saying he hasn’t seen the volume of complaints at county meetings that would justify the urgency behind the state’s proposal.

Patton agreed, adding that attendance at public meetings on tax matters has been thin, suggesting, in her view, that the loudest voices on the issue may not reflect the broader public’s level of concern.