The City of Pensacola invites residents to a public information session on Thursday, March 5, at the Fricker Center—home of the City’s most raucous town halls— to learn more about the details of the demolition of the former Baptist Hospital.
- Background: Baptist shut down its hospital on E Street in September 2023, leaving no medical services on what it has called its “legacy campus,” despite promises to do so. However, hospital leaders did arrange for an ECAT bus stop to take people from the neighborhood to its new facility off Brent Lane. Tax dollars—state and local—are paying for the demolition.
Staff from the City and from Jacobs Engineering, the owner’s representative on the project, will be on-site to answer questions about the demolition process, project timeline, and the environmental precautions in place at the site.
Earlier this month, the Pensacola City Council was given this breakdown of the project’s four phases:
Phase One — Mobilization and abatement setup (December–January). Complete.
Phase Two — Site prep and active asbestos abatement (currently underway). Crews started on the north side of the site with Towers 1, 2, and 3 — Tower 1 being closest to E Street, Tower 2 in the middle, and Tower 3 nearest 8th Street.
Phase Three — Active demolition, estimated to begin in March. “Once we understand that [sequence], we’ll definitely make sure the notices go up via postcard, via website, and that the public is in the know on exactly what they should be seeing from a day-to-day standpoint,” Wallace said.
Phase Four — Site cleanup and restoration, targeted for January 2027. “Hopefully, all the buildings are down by then, and then pretty much site restoration, which is where our scope ends on this one,” Wallace said. “And I think we’ll call that a successful job.”
Engaging the Community
Cliff Collins, Associate City Administrator, said the meeting is part of the City’s commitment to community engagement throughout the demolition project process.
- “Our commitment to the community includes sharing information about the project as it progresses,” Collins said. “This information session is a way for our team to share details about how the environmental abatement work is being conducted in compliance with state and federal regulations. Please come to the meeting and bring your questions.”
For more information, visit formerbaptistdemolition.com.
Information Session Details:
- Dates: Thursday, March 5
- Time: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Location: Fricker Resource Center, 900 North F St.