The Escambia County RESTORE Act Advisory Committee voted last month to approve the ranking of all 124 RESTORE applications in Escambia County, taking a significant step toward selecting projects to be funded by direct component RESTORE funds.
The ranking marks the final recommendation from the committee to the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners for the allocation of direct component funds, part of a three-year process undertaken by the committee. Tasked with developing the project selection criteria and being an interface with the public, the Escambia County RESTORE Act Advisory Committee also developed the county needs assessment and reviewed and ranked the 124 project applications received in Escambia County.
The Escambia County RESTORE Act Advisory Committee will present the project rankings to the board Thursday, April 7 at the 5:30 p.m. Board of County Commissioners meeting, where the board will vote to sunset the committee.
Here are the top five projects:
Draft Rank 1 Eleven Mile Creek Stream Restoration
RAC Score 66.91
RESTORE Act Primary Eligible Activity: Restore and protect natural resources
Budget $12,929,908
Phase 1 $1,110,776
Potential Match $6,235,620
Draft Rank 2 (tie) Forest Creek Apartment Complex Acquisition/Demolition & Jones Creek Floodplain Restoration Project
RAC Score 65.27
RESTORE Act Primary Eligible Activity: Coastal flood protection & related infrastructure
Budget $2,029,200
Phase 1 $100,000
Potential Match $
Comments: Strong project; Match was not acquired though they will be re-applying for FEMA funds
Draft Rank 2 (tie) Carpenter Creek and Bayou Texar Economic and Environmental Revitalization Plan
RAC Score 65.27
RESTORE Act Primary Eligible Activit: Restore and protect natural resources
Budget $2,440,000
Phase 1 $665,000
Potential Match $1,355,000
Draft Rank 4 Perdido Key Gulf of Mexico Public Access
RAC Score 60.82
RESTORE Act Primary Eligible Activity: Infrastructure projects for local economy or ecological resources
Budget $1,648,000
Phase 1 $1,648,000
Potential Match $3,100,000
Comments Project could be completed using the County’s bed tax
Draft Rank 5 Port Pensacola Maritime Infrastructure Berth 6 Restoration
RAC Score 60.55
RESTORE Act Primary Eligible Activity: Infrastructure projects for local economy or ecological resources, & port infrastructure
Budget $3,750,000
Phase 1 $3,750,000
Potential Match $11,250,000
Comments Good leverage of state funds & best return on investment, Good economic and environmental benefits, High Economic Development value
And here are the rankings of all 124 applications – link