Pensacola Updates

[Muskavon]

Ha! fvcrew22...I was just sitting here putting together a post of various things here to get this thread back to active again. I left out the Road opening...so that works out perfect.

My stuff:

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090522/NEWS01/90522011

The gist: “A proposed public technology park in downtown Pensacola got a shot in the arm today in the form of a $2 million federal grant. The U.S. Economic Development Administration announced today that the money will help fund the public infrastructure portion of the project.
The park would be located on 9.2 acres in downtown Pensacola between the Pensacola Civic Center and the Aragon neighborhood.
When complete, the park will host between 300,000 and 500,000 square feet of technology office space and hopes are to locate about 1,000 jobs there.”

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http://www.pnj.com/article/20090522/...rward+thinking

Basically seeing lots more traffic regularly on beaches. “Hotel Indigo is a $50 million, 162-room Gulf-front hotel slated to open by May 2010.”…. “Grand Marlin, a restaurant and yacht club at the foot of the Bob Sikes Bridge, is an $8 million project that is nearly 50 percent complete.”… “Innisfree Hotels developer Julian MacQueen says he's optimistic he will have financing for his $60 million, 206-room Holiday Inn in hand by mid June.”…. “In addition to the brick-and-mortar projects on the beach, Lee says the Santa Rosa Island Authority board is looking for a firm to write a new master development and landscape plan for the island's business core.

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Other stuff that has occurred locally since the last updates here….

……Hockey is back, but won’t start till the 2010 season apparently because of disputes about how many weekend dates the Civic Center is willing to provide.

……Lots of fighting amongst ourselves over different proposed economic development commissions for the area. One concept basically wants to establish a large board, raise various user fees in the area, and finally have the ability to offer incentives to attract business (like Bama and Miss does to eat our lunch on a regular basis). The other proposal seems to be the same old-same old to me, but just with different people involved other than just the Chamber. Here is a week old article on Valentino’s plan:

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090514/NEWS01/90514022

……I think the Navy Flight Academy thing is ready to go.

…..Typical fighting over what Perdido Key should be by all sorts of interests. Latest thing that brought all that to a head was the “bingo” concept that was proposed out there. Here’s a PNJ article that sorta sums up some of the various issues about PK’s future:

http://www.pnj.com/article/20090522/...ining+a+future

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Finally, I’ll just say between the fighting over future economic authorities, fighting over Perdido Key, fighting over hockey, fighting over our recent airport hotel deal, still fighting over the maritime park, fighting over every single thing that ever comes down the pike….everything I’ve written or linked above may come to naught as usual for P’cola. I’m not sure you could build a Burger King here anymore without 10 years of blood.

[BigBird9]

Damn you, Muskavon!


I just saw the Tech park story on the PNJ and I was about to post it on here to breathe life into this thread again.... but alas, you beat me to it haha. I'm excited to see that federal boost. The fact that the feds gave them a $2 Million grant gives me hope that they're actually serious about building this thing. I had thought that it had kind of died out.

Anyway, that's a bunch of good news. In some smaller economic development news, there's a Mellow Mushroom (a pizza chain) and a Buffalo Wild Wings going up in front of the Rave on Bayou. Has anyone driven on Airport lately? It's pretty neat driving from the airport past the Sacred Heart building and the Hilton Garden Inn going up right now.... now we just need the Airport exit to open.

Thanks for the links!

[willicr]

Been a while since I posted.
Now that Ft Pickens Road has opened, it is a cool view to drive all the way down to the fort. When you look back East, it is stunning skyline shot of Pensacola Beach. I have always loved that view (also from NAS, the Beach looks very impressive.)
Mellow Mushroom should do good in that location. Their pizza is great and they have a good selection of beer. Look for that place to shine. Buffalo Wild Wings should become an after work, happy hour destination. With the road cutting through to Airport, look for more businesses to sprout. I do miss alot of the trees removed from Carpenters Creek, but those were the old days.
I am still waiting for something 20+ stories to be announced in Downtown Pensacola. We just need that 1 building to give a little ooomph to the skyline.
Wishful thinking, I know. Glad to see some recent posts.

[Muskavon]

willicr...it doesn't matter how bad the quality...if you are at the Fort and see a great shot...snap us a cam pic. This whole area is the most underphotographed place on Earth. Their are seals wallowing around near the South Pole thinking "get that lens off of me, I gotta pee and have lots of sex". They can't get a rest but you could do Eva Longoria on top of a bank building here every day for 30 days and no one would bother to notice. Ok, I would, but beyond that...

[fvcrew22]

Hopefully this is the start of University Mall finally being renovated.


Movement on the mall
Posted 6/3/2009 7:07 PM EDT
markobrien's page

There’s life in University Mall's effort to upgrade.

The mall’s owners will ask the Escambia County Commission in July to consider changes in the process to enable them to convert the facility into a "lifestyle center" that will drop more shoppers to the landmark on Davis Highway.

That’s the word from Commissioner Grover Robinson IV. He said today the owners, Simon Group Properties, want to address a rule that 15 percent of the area be "green space" devoted to trees and grass.

This is a common issue in redevelopment projects. One option: Allow the redevelopment to go ahead, with the developer offering "green space" elsewhere to offset the loss at the original site.

The emphasis on green space can backfire and lead to more sprawl. For example, a developer may simply move further from town — and tear up more land and create more traffic — rather than comply with redevelopment rules he considers too onerous.

http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/sec...Id=personaDest

[Port_of_Bama]

I hope the plan goes through for University,though Bel-Air is newly renovated I would love to see a lifestyle type being added to it. I hope someone in Mobile would have a talk with owers of University in Pensacola.

[nouveau_Mauvilla]

I really hate to sound "ig'nant" but what is a lifestyle center exactly? I've heard the term several times on here. Is it something like the Eastern Shore Center, or more like the Atlantic Station (the latter of which I would prefer for Bel-Air)?

15% sounds like a pretty big chunk. How about just nice, lush medians and a mini-park or two (like on a corner). Or better yet, create a uniform height for either one big building or several connected ones and put a green roof on top. Make it acccesible to the public and deck it out. This would also be better for the environment, most likely, as compared to a traditional grass park

[NitekKetin]

Originally Posted by nouveau_Mauvilla

I really hate to sound "ig'nant" but what is a lifestyle center exactly? I've heard the term several times on here. Is it something like the Eastern Shore Center, or more like the Atlantic Station (the latter of which I would prefer for Bel-Air)?

15% sounds like a pretty big chunk. How about just nice, lush medians and a mini-park or two (like on a corner). Or better yet, create a uniform height for either one big building or several connected ones and put a green roof on top. Make it acccesible to the public and deck it out. This would also be better for the environment, most likely, as compared to a traditional grass park

I wouldn't call it ignorance, it's just that the term 'lifestyle center' is a bit open, and just about any sprawling regional development with a poorly conceived central area is being referred to as such.

That being said, any regional shopping center should try do to a better job of creating a strong sense of place.

[fvcrew22]

Here's a rendering of the University Mall becoming a "lifestyle center", it's very different than the traditional mall. The 3 large buildings in this rendering are the Sears, Belk, and JC Penney that are already there, basically the mall will be torn out from between them and replaced with many smaller buildings.

I've seen a shopping center similar to this up near Atlanta.

[Port_of_Bama]

^^^ so u think a life style center would be bad for Bel-Air. Bel-Air is already in a well devloped area.I`m noty sure about Univeristy I assume it is. I hope a life style center doesn`t cause more sprawl in these cities.



Hmmm not bad I like, I like !

[Port_of_Bama]

Originally Posted by nouveau_Mauvilla

I really hate to sound "ig'nant" but what is a lifestyle center exactly? I've heard the term several times on here. Is it something like the Eastern Shore Center, or more like the Atlantic Station (the latter of which I would prefer for Bel-Air)?

15% sounds like a pretty big chunk. How about just nice, lush medians and a mini-park or two (like on a corner). Or better yet, create a uniform height for either one big building or several connected ones and put a green roof on top. Make it acccesible to the public and deck it out. This would also be better for the environment, most likely, as compared to a traditional grass park

Yes the Eastern Shore Center is what you would call a life style center.

[BigBird9]

Finally! Let's hope everything goes through this time.

I don't think this will create new sprawl... in fact, I think it will help fight against it. Port of Bama, University Mall is in a highly developed area on one of Pensacola's busiest roads (Davis Hwy). However, the difference between University and Bel Air is that I assume that Bel Air is an active mall. Because of this long awaited renovation and dwindling business at University, there are literally ZERO stores inside University Mall. The three anchors are supposedly holding up pretty well, but that's all. So once the lifestyle center opens, it will only draw businesses in to the mall instead of push them out (even with the 15% thing).

I hope they somehow incorporate the area near Silver Screen into this. Maybe a nice walking path or something so that there will be a theater along with a few restaurants within the "lifestyle" area.

[Port_of_Bama]

^^^ Ok I see ,I figured University was in a well developed area. I hope the best for University, because I don`t see how or why Mobile and Pensacola have 2nd hand shopping compared to cities and counties smaller than the two.

[nouveau_Mauvilla]

Originally Posted by Port_of_Bama

^^^ so u think a life style center would be bad for Bel-Air.

Not neccesarily, but I would rather see it become something more unique, with residential and office space. Just because it isn't downtown doesn't mean it can't be mixed use and built up some.

The renderings seem nice. If I had to choose between a mall and a lifestyle center I think I would take the lifestyle center. I prefer the outside sidewalks and streets compared to a plain old traditional mall, even though I'm not crazy about the ESC.

[Port_of_Bama]

I like the open air feel better aswell, good luck P-cola.

[NitekKetin]

^an open-air design is great, until a visitor to the open-air development experiences daily rainstorms throughout the summer.

[fvcrew22]

Here's a few highlights of an article from the news journal, it's a fairly long article.

CRA's downtown master plan in the works
CRA weighs ideas for downtown Pensacola
Jamie Page • jepage@pnj.com • June 8, 2009


Redeveloping the old Main Street Wastewater Treatment Plant site.

Reopening Bruce Beach as a usable downtown beach and boardwalk area.

Reopening Government Street to traffic at Ninth Avenue through the Seville Historic District.

These are ideas that might be contemplated in Pensacola's Community Redevelopment Agency master plan, which will be presented later this summer.

The CRA plan is key to how downtown progresses over the next five to 20 years, because it lays out a strategy for redeveloping the CRA district, the greater downtown area. It specifies projects for improving the downtown waterfront, the urban core, pedestrian access, and mixed use and residential developments.

A new perspective

Most importantly, the plan — which is always evolving and has had small updates throughout its 25-year history — has not had a comprehensive update in 20 years. It's being updated to include new elements, such as how the Community Maritime Park may tie into nearby developments.

The concept plan focuses on "first impressions," and one of the challenges is that Pensacola is "not on the radar screen," as the concept plan admits.

Fixing the parking perceptions, improving mass transit, considering things like water taxis, and filling in the blank spots between buildings to make downtown more dense and walkable. It's all mentioned in the concept plan and shows example sketches of what certain streets could look like if "filled in."

"Downtown has come a long way. But we have talked about a lot of these things before and where are we?" Senkarik said. "How are we going to prioritize the funding so it all happens this time?"

Will they come?

Another challenge the plan addresses is bringing people downtown every day — not just for special occasions — and creating downtown housing to attract broader income levels. The idea is to get people living downtown then the businesses the area is lacking will follow.




Link: http://www.pnj.com/article/20090608/...13/1006/NEWS01

[NitekKetin]

I hate to keep prattling on about malls, but it looks like upscale leather goods brand Coach is opening a store at Cordova Mall soon.

I'm quite envious.

[Port_of_Bama]

Coach wow!

[fvcrew22]

^ Yeah, I was in the mall last week and saw that it says Coach coming soon.

This might be an interesting plan for the library downtown.

Library plans need a new look
markobrien's page
Posted 6/9/2009 1:42 PM EDT

Let’s rethink this notion of building a new library at the site of the old (really old) downtown Pensacola library at Spring and Gregory streets.

City Councilman Larry Johnson has a better idea: Build it at Palafox and Gregory streets, where it would be much more visible and accessible than the current facility, built 50-plus years ago.

"It also could open up North Palafox Street to more activity," Johnson says. The land now is a lightly used parking lot owned by the city.

A new library could provide a jolt of activity on Palafox. And the current library and decommissioned firehouse nearby could be revamped for housing, high-tech business or other activities that mesh with the neighborhood.

Yes, the previous council agreed last year to build the new library at the old site, but there’s no reason to deny another look by Johnson and other new council members. They only took office in January. No ground has been broken, so give the new idea a good once-over.

Meanwhile, there's a public meeting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday to discuss new library's design. The meeting, at the library's Community Room on 200 W. Gregory St., will let residents express their ideas and concerns about conceptual plans. Representatives of the firms of Townes+Architects and Williams-Blackstock Architects will be there to answer questions and gather information.

link: http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/sec...Id=personaDest

I made a quick map to show where the 2 sites are located.