More than a year ago, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves announced his team had started exploring options to reimagine South Palafox Street. Florida Power & Light had completed its work on the city’s main downtown street and agreed to redirect the money it would have spent on repaving toward the “reimagining.” The last major project involving Palafox was the establishment of Palafox Place, in which the city collaborated with banks to offer low-interest loans for storefront renovations.
In March 1980, the City of Pensacola dedicated the centerpiece of its downtown Pensacola redevelopment – Palafox Place. The $850,000 project began in April 1979 and culminated with a grand opening ceremony in front of the Saenger Theater. Palafox Place encompassed the first three blocks of South Palafox Street, from Garden Street to Government Street.
- Palafox is named for General Jose de Palafox y Melzi, who saved the town of Saragossa (or Zaragoza), Spain, from Napoleon’s advancing army. It was laid out by the British in the 1760s and originally called “George Street” after King George III.
While digging up the street, workers found two 18th-century cannons, which are now on display in front of the old county courthouse. At the time, county commissioners suggested the guns be aimed toward Pensacola City Hall (which is now the Pensacola Museum of History). Workers also discovered a layer of wooden paving blocks that once formed the street’s surface.
On March 21, 1980, the News Journal reported, “Today’s ribbon-cutting ceremony in Saenger Plaza signals the opening of an $850,000, tree-lined mall, which is the heart of the city’s efforts to revive downtown Pensacola.”
The weekend festivities included a five-mile run sponsored by the Community Mental Health Center and the Intown Business Association. Entertainment was provided by the Jefferson Players, a downtown theater group; a clown and mime troupe; the Grand Union Jazz Band No.283; Facee of Eve, an all-girl rock band; the Roy Russell-Ron Craig Orchestra; and local dance groups— Kaleidoscope Children’s Dance Theatre, Elvie DeMarko School of Ballet and Alice Toney’s Greek Folk Dancers.
Seville Quarter provided the folk trio Willis Carlon Quinn, its Goodtime Dixieland Band with Nelson Hamilton (the Singing Swanee Man) and pianist-singer Bobby Oliver.
Since parking is so limited anyway, Palafox Place should be made fully & permanently pedestrian. Add smaller shade trees, fountains, seating, brick pave the whole thing. It would be stunning.
S. Palafox St can’t be pedestrian because of the condos and resident parking. To be honest I don’t think it needs any work.
Let’s reimagine Palafox Street with Parking Ease and get back to the beautiful street it was before Mayor Robinson. Enjoy a drive up and parallel parking to shop the stores. Keep our Main Street America Fabulous !