Two days before the Board of County Commission potentially selects the developer for Outlying Field-8, residents gathered at Beulah Church on Tuesday night to review the master plan, hear from the bidders and voice their concerns about the project.
Representatives from each of the three development bidders attended and spoke during the meeting. Only Beulah Town Center, LLC and its partner Metro Development Group asked for and prepared a presentation. Representatives from the other two bidders, Tri-W Development and Beulah Ranch, spoke off the cuff as moderator Theresa Blackwell, a Beulah resident, offered everyone an opportunity to share their visions. Other speakers Blackwell called on included Escambia County Commissioner Steve Stroberger and congressional candidate Aaron Dimmock.
- Blackwell voiced her opinion throughout the meeting, criticizing FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance, Triumph Gulf Coast, homebuilder D.R. Horton and former county commissioner Jeff Bergosh. She wrote an editorial recently in the Pensacola News Journal critical of business leaders involved in the process and dismissing any concern about losing the $14.2 million Triumph grant.
The Triumph grant came up repeatedly during the meeting. Representatives from each development bidder claimed they possessed the capital without the Triumph grant to proceed with the 540-acre mixed-use project. In 2022, Triumph approved the county application to build infrastructure for industrial portions of the property with the expectation of high-wage job creation. The county risks forfeiting that money if it fails to deliver.
- “I had good conversations with county attorneys (Tuesday) afternoon, and I have a way forward now after talking to her,” Stroberger said. “I’m not going to be held hostage — I don’t think any of us want to be held hostage — by Triumph money. I don’t think we need that money; I just don’t. These developers that are working with us can do it on their own, and from talking with the attorney, it sounds like the infrastructure that we have is not adequate, so it’s not right. We don’t want to be deciding for these developers. We want them to decide how it should be as long as they follow the (DPZ) master plan.”
Led by developer Fred Hemmer, Beulah Town Center offered $43.5 million for the development, followed by Tri-W Development with a bid north of $40 million. Catalyst Healthcare Real Estate CEO Chad Henderson and former Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward are part of the Tri-W contingent and attended the meeting. Beulah Ranch, represented by Pensacola real estate broker Ryan Bell, offered $40 million.
In January 2019, Escambia County acquired the 636-acre OLF-8 property through a land swap with the U.S. Navy that included the county purchasing land in Santa Rosa County for over $17 million. The commissioners then voted in favor of selling about 100 acres of the property to Navy Federal for $4.2 million.
- The DPZ CoDesign plan now consists of a 540-acre mixed-use project, including 271 acres for a light industrial district, 61 acres for residential and 47 acres for a mixed-use center. DPZ is a world-renowned planning, urban design and architecture firm. Blackwell said, “We’re ridiculously fortunate that little Beulah got DPZ.”
The UWF Haas Center conducted a study that revealed the potential financial impact of a light industrial district. Their research projected that developing just 46 of the 271 acres set aside for light industrial would generate an economic impact of $1.3 billion over five years for the local economy, local tax revenue of $10.8 million, 1,550 direct, indirect and induced jobs, and $445.5 million in total personal income.
A few residents voiced concerns about the addition of residential properties taking away from the ruralness of Beulah. Another issue one speaker cited is the absence of a library or post office in the master plan.
“The main thing I’m concerned about is more housing,” Beulah resident Christine Rogers said. “We already have enough subdivisions, we have enough apartments out here, all over the county for that matter, and I know it’s tax dollars they’re after, but I moved to Beulah because it’s rural. If I wanted to live in the city, I would have moved to the city.
BCC BACKGROUND: County commissioners nearly selected the developer at their meeting last month. The meeting lasted until about midnight before the commissioners adjourned without a decision. Stroberger made a motion to begin contract negotiations with Beulah Town Center. Board Chair Mike Kohler seconded the motion, but without the support of the other commissioners, Stroberger withdrew his motion. Commissioner Steven Barry made a motion to begin contract negotiations with Tri-W, but that motion failed without a second.
My thoughts: If developers don’t want the $14.2 million Triumph grant, their offers are too low. The Escambia County Commission should ask for at least $50 million and use the Triumph grant to do as much infrastructure work as it can with the money. The developers can pick up the shortfall that Commissioner Stroberger mentions.