The Escambia County RESTORE Act Advisory Committee Tuesday stepped into the home stretch of its lengthy journey as members convened for the first time since summer and mapped out their route to the finish line, which could come as soon as early December.
Since the committee’s last meeting, Escambia County has accepted project submittals for the RESTORE funds, or the money trickling down to the county level as a result of financial penalties being levied against primarily BP for the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. All told, and stemming from various pots and formulas, the county will see about $69 million over the next 17 years; there’s already around $10 million sitting in the bank.
The RESTORE committee, tasked with advising the Escambia County Commission on using these funds for environmental restoration, economic development or infrastructure needs heard from a county consultant about the submitted proposals and how best to proceed with evaluating them. Over the course of three months the county received 124 completed submittals, requesting a total of $324,919,308 million.
Consultant Mike Hanson, of Dewberry Engineering, Inc., conceded to the committee that there was “a bit of a challenge ahead of us.†The daunting job of sifting through the 124 applications seemed amplified when he laid out the timeline Dewberry is suggesting — following a series of meetings in November, the committee is aiming to forward its guidance to the commissioner during the first days of December.
“It is a task,†Hanson told them. “I agree it is a rushed schedule. I guess we’ll have to see how this goes.â€
RESTORE committee Chairwoman Bentina Terry suggested the group hit the submitted applications during the first two November meetings, and then nail down some decisions by the third engagement.
“The first two meetings are informational,†Terry said. “And then that last meeting’s the ‘here are the ones that we’re going to recommend.’â€
The advisory committee won’t be getting the first crack at ranking the submitted projects. Members learned that the Dewberry team had already logged its “preliminary rankings to you all.â€
“I wouldn’t look at it as Dewberry scores,†Escambia Director of Environment and Community Affairs Keith Wilkins told the committee, explaining that the rankings were based on criteria developed by the county.
Wilkins also said the ranking process — formalized and specific — was a revealing exercise.
“To me it was an education as to the strengths and weaknesses of our scoring system,†he said, adding that better-written weaker proposals may have faired better than stronger projects that were not presented as well.
Hanson said that Dewberry’s “experts†had scored the projects based on county criteria, but that the committee, or later the commissioners, might want to take other factors into consideration. Those factors included the percent of the local population a project would impact, the geographic impact, historic preservation, public support and collaboration opportunities. Several committee members expressed concern about officially considering additional factors when such factors had not been detailed to applicants at the onset of the process.
During the next two RESTORE meetings, the committee will be using Dewberry’s preliminary technical rankings as a starting point to begin its discussion on the proposed projects. While members may decide to go a different direction than Dewberry on a given project — assigning it more or less points — the firm’s numbered rankings may come into play when considering how much attention a particular applicant’s proposal receives.
“If we get to those below 20, we say ‘does anyone want to discuss this project?’†Terry said.
The proposed project receiving the highest score from Dewberry is the restoration of a historic urban creek in Pensacola. The creek bed corridor would be engineered with stormwater features and serve as a lineal greenway and downtown development axis. The $5,760,000 project got a score of 78.0.
The lowest ranked project by Dewberry is listed as “rebuild second sandbar.†The project, with no estimated price, received the score of 2.0.
| Preliminary Ranking | Preliminary Technical Score | Budget | |
| 1 | Restore the City Creek | 78 | $5,760,000 |
| 2 | Eleven Mile Creek Stream Restoration | 77 | $12,929,908 |
| 3 | Navy Blvd Beautification and Navy Point Restoration | 76 | $17,020,000 |
| 4 | Forest Creek Apartment Complex Acquisition/Demolition & Jones Creek Floodplain Restoration Project | 74 | $2,029,200 |
| 5 | Lake Charlene/BridleTrail | 73 | $501,923 |
| 6 | Beach Haven S & NE | 72 | $18,000,000 |
| 7 | Perdido Key Gulf of Mexico Public Access | 71 | $1,648,000 |
| 8 | Perdido Bay Bronson Field Living Shoreline Project | 66 | $840,000 |
| 9 | Jackson’s Lakes Diversion & Wakeboard Park | 66 | $930,000 |
| 10 | Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve Management & Ecosystem Restoration | 65 | $940,000 |
| 11 | Sanders Beach Park Addition / Beach Restoration | 64 | $17,268,246 |
| 12 | Hollice T. Williams Park â€Stormwater Management/Recreational Faclities Project | 63 | $3,764,000 |
| 13 | Olive Road Phase II Eastâ€Ferry Pass Zone 5 | 63 | $11,100,000 |
| 14 | S Old Corry Field Rd Bridge Replacement | 63 | $2,900,000 |
| 15 | Sunset Island Seagrass Restoration Project | 62 | $840,000 |
| 16 | Carpenter Creek and Bayou Texar Economic and Environmental Revitalization Plan | 62 | $2,440,000 |
| 17 | Woodlands â€UWF Scenic Hills–St Luke’s Church Neighborhood Partnership Stream Restoration & Flood Protection | 61 | $3,753,466 |
| 18 | 11 Mile Creek Basin | 61 | $4,024,000 |
| 19 | Belmontâ€DeVilliers:Restored Heritage Revisited | 59 | $437,000 |
| 20 | Navy Point Rain Gardens and Community Greens | 59 | $780,980 |
| 21 | Pensacola Beach Dune Walkover Replacements | 59 | $805,000 |
| 22 | IHMC Community Meeting Hall Expansion | 58 | $600,000 |
| 23 | Dune Walkover Protection Project | 57 | $705,000 |
| 24 | REAP/SCA’s Escambia Conservation Corps | 56 | $2,499,171 |
| 25 | Native Paths Boardwalk | 56 | $150,000 |
| 26 | Brownsville Redevelopment Initiative | 56 | $4,700,000 |
| 27 | Project Universal Access | 56 | $3,350,000 |
| 28 | Perdido River Habitat Restoration | 55 | $304,500 |
| 29 | South Dogtrack Drainage†Coral Creek, Hampton Lake, Three Waters Green (aka, Mariner Village), Liberty Church | 55 | $8,100,000 |
| 30 | Belmont Cultural Center Heritage Tourism Destination Phase I | 54 | $1,500,000 |
| 31 | Lionfish Commercialization & Harvest | 54 | $326,480 |
| 32 | Port Pensacola Maritime Infrastructure Berth 6 Restoration | 54 | $3,750,000 |
| 33 | Escambia County Offer Your Shell To Enhance Restoration (OYSTER) Project | 54 | $555,275 |
| 34 | SOAR WITH RESTORE | 52 | $1,255,000 |
| 35 | Tarkiln Bayou Preserve restoration of Big Muddy | 52 | $374,884 |
| 36 | Escambia County Santa Rosa Island Property Boardwalk and Observation Towers | 52 | $5,000,000 |
| 37 | White Island Restoration | 52 | $169,000 |
| 38 | Museum Plaza | 51 | $740,000 |
| 39 | North Palafox Street Road Diet and Beautification | 50 | $3,938,767 |
| 40 | Perdido Bay Public Waterway Access Site | 50 | $2,000,000 |
| 41 | Pensacola Beach Reclaimed Water System Expansion †Phase IV | 50 | $375,000 |
| 42 | General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Memorial Park Low Impact Development and Stormwater Treatment Project | 50 | $645,000 |
| 43 | Town of Century Water Quality Improvements | 50 | $486,000 |
| 44 | Ashland Park Sewer Expansion/Stormwater Improvement | 49 | $2,033,000 |
| 45 | Dolphin Conservation Program | 47 | $441,426 |
| 46 | Sam’s Surf City, Wavepool/Youth Training & Aquatic Recreation Program | 47 | $700,000 |
| 47 | Big Lagoon Ecosystem Restoration | 47 | $8,125,000 |
| 48 | Electrify the Ferry Service | 47 | $2,691,520 |
| 49 | Seville Harbour Breakwater | 46 | $4,556,708 |
| 50 | Cooperative Invasive Species Management | 45 | $1,530,604 |
| 51 | Maritime Sports Tourism Development Project/ Maritime Infrastructure Project | 45 | $2,100,000 |
| 52 | Bayou Chico Restoration | 45 | $22,828,151 |
| 53 | Community Advocacy Center | 44 | $35,000,000 |
| 54 | Maritime Heritage and Nature Trail | 43 | $200,000 |
| 55 | Escambia County Large Vessel Reef(s) Project | 43 | $1,500,000 |
| 56 | Veterans Memorial Park Improvements | 43 | $601,000 |
| 57 | Escambia County Heritage Trails | 43 | $346,000 |
| 58 | Pensacola Adaptive Sailing Outreach | 42 | $1,000,000 |
| 59 | Riparian Zone Preservation | 42 | $1,000,000 |
| 60 | Loaves and Fishes Emergency Family Shelter | 42 | $3,429,392 |
| 61 | Chimney Park Stormwater Improvements | 42 | $685,000 |
| 62 | Shoreline Habitat and Resilient Coasts (SHaRC) | 41 | $5,448,000 |
| 63 | Building Community Resilience in Escambia County | 40 | $54,995 |
| 64 | Project AIMS | 40 | $1,566,253 |
| 65 | Perdido Key Multiâ€Use Path | 40 | $800,000 |
| 66 | Pensacola MESS Hall New Facility Planning Grant | 39 | $150,000 |
| 67 | Big Lagoon State Park and Tarkiln Bayou Preserve State Park Restoration | 38 | $118,000 |
| 68 | Green Roof | 38 | $486,528 |
| 69 | Escambia County/ ECUA Resource Recovery Projectâ€Energy Island | 38 | $3,570,000 |
| 70 | Water Quality Targets for Seagrass Restoration in Pensacola and Perdido Bays | 37 | $420,000 |
| 71 | Englewoodâ€Northeast Brownsvilleâ€West Moreno Urban Revitalization Project | 37 | $250,000 |
| 72 | Women’s Transitional Shelter & Support Center | 36 | $923,647 |
| 73 | Cantonment Community Center | 36 | $2,000,000 |
| 74 | Raise the Homes | 36 | $20,000,000 |
| 75 | Escambia and Pensacola Bays Oyster Reef Mapping and Condition Assessment | 35 | $300,000 |
| 76 | Reaching Our Community | 35 | $248,940 |
| 77 | Old East Hill Community Market | 34 | $1,441,700 |
| 78 | OLF8 Commerce Park Improvements | 34 | $19,037,790 |
| 79 | Financial Recovery and Preparedness for Escambia County | 34 | $61,000 |
| 80 | Community Gathering Center | 34 | $500,000 |
| 81 | Pleasant Grove Inlet | 33 | $300,000 |
| 82 | CareerLaunch at Boys & Girls Club | 33 | $544,044 |
| 83 | If we build it, they will come | 33 | $310,000 |
| 84 | Emerald Coast Institute for Living Shorelines | 33 | $7,500,000 |
| 85 | Hampton Lakes Flooding Issue | 33 | $85,000 |
| Preliminary Ranking | Project Name | Preliminary Technical Score | Budget |
| 86 | Escambia Wood Treating Superfund Redevelopment Master Plan | 32 | $500,000 |
| 87 | SCA Internship Ladder to Employment | 31 | $1,590,273 |
| 88 | SCA Internship Ladder to Employment | 31 | $1,431,091 |
| 89 | Lambert Bridge Rd | 30 | $500,000 |
| 90 | BAYWALK PROMENADE | 30 | $300,000 |
| 91 | Portable Marine Training Facilities | 30 | $397,500 |
| 92 | Technology Campus Parking Garage | 30 | $500,000 |
| 93 | Solar Power for Pensacola Habitat | 30 | $1,250,000 |
| 94 | STEM Story | 30 | $210,334 |
| 95 | Human Performance Research Laboratory | 29 | $141,000 |
| 96 | City Bike Share | 29 | $1,260,000 |
| 97 | Escambia County Regional Sediment Management Plan (ERSMP) | 28 | $2,250,000 |
| 98 | Learn a Language †Touch the World | 28 | $428,925 |
| 99 | Hispanic Community Center | 27 | $1,753,673 |
| 100 | ConFund | 27 | $348,000 |
| 101 | Cottage Hill Water Works Infrastructure Update and System Improvements | 27 | $3,700,000 |
| 102 | G.R.U.B | 27 | $20,750 |
| 103 | Scenic Pathway | 26 | $502,659 |
| 104 | Culinary Entrepreneurial Incubator Center | 25 | $991,000 |
| 105 | Clean Energy for Pensacola! | 24 | $90,000 |
| 106 | Oakland Community Park | 24 | $0 |
| 107 | Multiâ€Purpose Suite of Water Quality Models for Escambia County | 24 | $304,656 |
| 108 | Brownsville Nature Trail | 24 | $8,000,000 |
| 109 | Warrington Multiâ€Use Facility | 23 | $11,750,000 |
| 110 | Escambia County Website App Tourism | 22 | $361,750 |
| 111 | One.Net †Pensacola Broadband | 21 | $240,000 |
| 112 | Family Prison Transportation Project | 19 | $60,000 |
| 113 | Digital Radiology at Nemours | 18 | $806,000 |
| 114 | shareourshore | 17 | $100,000 |
| 115 | Paddle Lacrosse Golf Courses | 16 | $140,000 |
| 116 | Pedestrian safety on Main St. | 15 | $56,450 |
| 117 | Perdido Key †Additional Public Parking and Beach Access | 14 | $0 |
| 118 | LA’s Funtainment Center | 13 | $8,957,649 |
| 119 | Cantonment Sportsplex | 9 | $50,000 |
| 120 | PENSACOLA BOTONICAL GARDENâ€ESTUARIUM | 7 | $500,000 |
| 121 | Silver Lining, Inc | 6 | $581,000 |
| 122 | Economic Loss Zone/ infrastructure | 5 | $417,000 |
| 123 | Sunken Barge Cleanup | 3 | $0 |
| 124 | rebuild 2nd sandbar | 2 | $0 |
——-
MYIP Budget Breakdown – Year 1

The MYIP Year 1 budget breakdown was calculated by taking the total dollars available to Escambia County in Year 1 (Transocean settlement $10,696,146) and subtracting MYIP development costs (planning assistance), project contingency costs (estimated at 10% each of total project budget) and Administrative/Indirect Costs (estimated at 10% each of total project budget).
Grand Total: $10,696,146
Less: MYIP Development (planning and outreach) $415,850
Less: Project contingency fund – 10% $857,000
Less: Administration – 10% $857,000
Net available for projects – Year 1: $8,570,000
 Phase I Funding Only, By Rank and Amended Budget
| Ranking | Application | Project Name | Preliminary Technical Score | Budget | Amended (Phase I) Budget |
| 1 | 11 | Restore the City Creek | 78 | $5,760,000 | $930,000 |
| 2 | 4 | Eleven Mile Creek Stream Restoration | 77 | $12,929,908 | $1,110,776 |
| 3 | 105 | Navy Blvd Beautification and Navy Point Restoration | 76 | $17,020,000 | $3,150,000 |
| 4 | 78 | Forest Creek Apartment Complex Acquisition/Demolition & Jones Creek Floodplain Restoration Project | 74 | $2,029,200 | $2,029,200 |
| 5 | 95 | Lake Charlene/BridleTrail | 73 | $501,923 | $501,923 |
| 6 | 101 | Beach Haven S & NE | 72 | $18,000,000 | not included |
| 7 | 107 | Perdido Key Gulf of Mexico Public Access | 71 | $1,648,000 | $123,000 |
| 8 | 52 | Perdido Bay Bronson Field Living Shoreline Project | 66 | $840,000 | $90,000 |
| 9 | 106 | Jackson’s Lakes Diversion & Wakeboard Park | 66 | $930,000 | $250,000 |
| 10 | 44 | Jones Swamp Wetland Preserve Management & Ecosystem Restoration | 65 | $940,000 | $120,000 |
| 11 | 48 | Sanders Beach Park Addition / Beach Restoration | 64 | $17,268,246 | not included |
| 12 | 39 | Hollice T. Williams Park â€Stormwater Management/Recreational Faclities Project | 63 | $3,764,000 | not included |
| 13 | 49 | Olive Road Phase II Eastâ€Ferry Pass Zone 5 | 63 | $11,100,000 | not included |
| 14 | 100 | S Old Corry Field Rd Bridge Replacement | 63 | $2,900,000 | $220,000 |
| 15 | 54 | Sunset Island Seagrass Restoration Project | 62 | $840,000 | not included |
| Total | $8,524,899 |