Escambia commissioners, Mayor Reeves discuss District Master Plan for Pensacola Bay Center

Escambia County is open to the idea of teaming up with the city of Pensacola and other organizations to renovate and possibly expand the Pensacola Bay Center, but before moving forward Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves says they need a Master Plan for the facility and the surrounding area, and the city is willing to foot the bill for one.

Reeves, who has been calling for Pensacola to have a say in the Bay Center's future, proposed funding a District Development Master Plan for the Bay Center and nearby properties, like the Pensacola Grand Hotel and the Pensacola Technology Park, before pulling the trigger on a multi-million project that will be a “generational investment.”

The mayor asked the board to consider a collaborative effort on the Pensacola Bay Center to make it a place that the community is proud of and will provide the community the best return on its investment.

However, to make that determination, he said they need more information to determine next steps.

He added that studies done on various proposed uses for the Pensacola Bay Center, like adding a second sports facility/ice rink, an event/conference center, or outdoor soccer/football complex, have been “splintered” and not done in context of the value they bring to the entire district or community as a whole.

That’s why he said the city is willing to fund a comprehensive study of the entire area that will determine what the community wants, the best way to leverage the existing footprint and surrounding areas to maximize potential, as well as boil down what proposed facilities are the soundest investment for taxpayers.

“This collaborative moment is vital to our collective success,” Reeves told commissioners during their Committee of the Whole meeting Thursday morning. “It allows us both city and county to tie together years of work, deferred maintenance, conversation and sound research.”

Escambia County Commissioners are considering different options to upgrade the Pensacola Bay Center, at varying levels of cost. The options range from $22 million to make bare minimum improvements that keep the 40-year-old facility operational, to major improvements, upwards of $100 million, that would modernize the arena and possibly expand it to include an event center and a second ice rink for practice.

Reeves said the city is working closely with owners of the Grand Hotel and interested parties to incentivize renovations or an overhaul of the property because it’s “key to the success of any community investment.”

The mayor suggested, and the board agreed, that it would be good to tie together all previous studies with new information and input from citizens and local leaders as part of the District Development Master Plan.

It would also include information like urban design, traffic impact, and economic analyses of each type of proposed venue.

Community leaders, including members of the Pensacola City Council, the Downtown Improvement Board, Pensacola Sports, and the Ice Flyers also spoke in support of some kind of renovation and development of the Bay Center and surrounding area. 

ASM Global, which manages the Bay Center on behalf of Escambia County, supports the idea.

“I think the approach for the concept of a Master Plan is needed at this point,” Pensacola Bay Center General Manager Michael Capps said. “We do need to take a look at what's going on around the surrounding area. Parking will always an issue, but I think the bigger concern with the Master Plan will be the traffic.”

Pensacola Technology Park is also part of the conversation because the empty lot is next door to the Bay Center.

It could be impacted by proposed expansion plans if it’s not developed, but FloridaWest Chief Executive Officer Chris Platé told commissioners they are in talks with several entities who are interested in building and opening businesses on the property.

“We've met with them last week and we've also just signed the documents to get Geotech started so we can understand what's in the dirt and soil to see what size buildings we can support on the property,” Platé said.

Commission Chair Mike Kohler and several of the other board members said they were open to a collaborative effort, as well as reaching out to other organizations for a possible financial contribution, including Escambia and Santa Rosa school districts who utilize the Bay Center for graduations and other events.

Assessments of the Bay Center said a lot of work is needed on the facility if it’s to remain competitive, but that the right investment could help it become an economic driver for Pensacola and not a drain.

Local leaders say the decision is important, especially as the city of Mobile moves forward with plans to build a new, multi-million-dollar, 10,000-square foot facility.  

“We've lost money on the Bay Center, and we want to have a good ROI if we spend a lot of money to renovate it,” Kohler said. “I think that's the concern. With what's going on in Mobile, I think that we could be more competitive than they are if we built the right center.”

The mayor told the board if they agree on a collaborative effort, the city would have the final concept of the Master Plan completed by this fall.

The board and city leaders agreed to continue discussions next week when city and county staff are scheduled to discuss demolition of the old Baptist Hospital towers, but they’re still working out how the collaboration would work and may create a joint task force for the project.

“We’ve come this far, and we are talking about $100 million that we need to get right,” Reeves said. “Putting a collective bow on this, together with a comprehensive plan, is important to our city.”