16th Annual Business Climate Downtown Issue

The 16th Annual Downtown Issue

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EDITOR’S NOTE When the Business Climate staff was in the middle of putting this magazine together, Pensacola, our city, was decimated by Hurricane Sally. If you were here for Hurricane Ivan, then you know the storm is only half of the battle. It’s the days after the storm that are the most troublesome. The majority of Pensacola went without power for days and struggled to find food and water. Many people’s homes flooded.

Our beloved downtown sustained some damage but not nearly as bad as areas in West Pensacola.

In what can only be described as a strange coincidence, Sally struck Pensacola the same day Ivan did 16 years ago. Somehow that fact gave me hope.

If Pensacola managed to not only survive but thrive after Ivan, a record breaking storm, then Pensacola will certainly bounce back from Sally.

One of our biggest hurdles since Sally is the damage to the Bay Bridge.

FDOT estimates that the bridge will be repaired by March 2021.

That’s a long road to recovery, but it’s something to look forward to.

In this issue, you will find an abundance of progress to look forward to. Healthcare real estate developer, Chad Henderson is paving the way for a new downtown district: the East Garden District.

The district’s recent developments are covered in this issue. Studer Properties’ West Main Master Plan project is inching closer to beginning construction. That project’s progress is also in this issue.

An interesting theme I found between Henderson and Studer Properties is their passion for growing Pensacola. To stimulate the city’s economy, both incorporated local talent and nationally known investors in their projects. Tourism season and businesses were greatly affected by COVID-19, so Pensacola can use all the help it can get.

Despite COVID-19, businesses continued to open downtown. The highly anticipated, The Garden is officially open and serving some of the most delicious street food in the area. That new business along with several others are in this issue, too. Developments like Savoy Place and Girard Place have really taken shape over the past few months. You can read more about properties like these in “What’s Developing Downtown.”

Downtown is advancing toward inclusion. Kukua Institute, a black-owned nonprofit, is bringing back the cultural and historical significance of the Belmont-DeVilliers district along with economic development. The City’s Affordable Housing Task Force is making progress toward bringing affordable housing to downtown. You can read more about both of these topics in this issue.

See Pensacola, progress is on its way.

Cheers to a better tomorrow

10 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

OWNERS Malcolm & Glenys Ballinger PUBLISHER Malcolm Ballinger malcolm@ballingerpublishing.com EXECUTIVE EDITOR Kelly Oden kelly@ballingerpublishing.com ART DIRECTOR Guy Stevens guy@ballingerpublishing.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER | AD COORDINATOR Garrett Hallbauer garrett@ballingerpublishing.com EDITOR Gina Castro ginac@ballingerpublishing.com ASSISTANT EDITOR Dakota Parks dakota@ballingerpublishing.com EDITORIAL INTERNS Abigail Denney Hunter Morrison CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Heidi Travis Alyssa Tucker Jevon Young SALES & MARKETING Paula Rode, Account Executive paula@ballingerpublishing.com Geneva Strange, Account Executive geneva@ballingerpublishing.com Becky Hildebrand, Account Executive becky@ballingerpublishing.com

314 N. Spring St. | Pensacola, FL 32501 850.433.1166 | fax: 850.435.9174 ballingerpublishing.com NW Florida’s Business Climate Magazine and Pensacola Magazine is locally owned and operated. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction or use of the contents herein is prohibited without written permission from the publisher. Comments and opinions expressed in this magazine represent the personal views of the individuals to whom they are attributed and/ or the person identified as the author of the article, and they are not necessarily those of the publisher. This magazine accepts no responsibility for these opinions. The publisher reserves the right to edit all manuscripts.

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Business Climate

14

Table of Contents

25 17

21

Cover Photo by Garrett Hallbauer

10 Editor's Note 14

East Garden District Combines National and Local Talent

The district announced its new architect and local tenants.

the Blocks 17 Rebuilding Kukua Institute is bringing back the cultural and historical significance of the Blocks along with economic development.

21 Getting the Most from Your Website Budget

Local website developer shares tips for getting the most out of your website.

Garden Oasis 25 APensacola’s staple food court Al

Fresco has undergone a remodel, rebrand and reopening as The Garden at Palafox & Main.

28 Downtown Businesses Open Amid Pandemic

Whether you’re a foodie, a comedy buff or an artist, these new downtown businesses have something for just about everyone.

New in Development 31 What's Downtown is constantly growing.

Here's an update on developments.

Pensacola 39 Experience Visit Pensacola launched an app that

draws tourists straight to your business.

12 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

51

44

31 47

39 Main Master Plan 40 West Project developers and Studer

Properties share the latest update on the master plan.

Tips from Quint Studer 43 5Community business leader Quint

Studer shares some advice on conducting business and networking during COVID-19.

44 Pensacola Grapples with Housing

59

55 47 Long Road Ahead for Pensacola Bay Bridge Repair

FDOT explains extensive damage to the bridge and the progress Skanska has made in repairing it.

51 Pensacola Sports Come Back Swinging

Although some sports had to skip their seasons this year, not all local sports are canceled.

55 Pensacola Doubles Down on Climate Change Mitigation

The City was recently awarded a grant by the state to assess Pensacola's vulnerability to sea level rise.

Day School 59 Episcopal EDS becomes more ingrained downtown.

Affordability Crisis

Both the City of Pensacola and Escambia County have launched programs to combat the affordable housing crisis. nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 13

EAST GARDEN DISTRICT COMBINES NATIONAL AND LOCAL TALENT

by Gina Castro

proposal for the EGD project. Henderson has named Kahler Slater the architect for EGD’s hotel, mixed-use building and parking deck.

“At first, we were concerned that we wouldn’t get it. Anytime that we are not the local, we have those concerns. We built a great relationship with Chad and we had an emerging relationship with Tosh Belsinger,” Marshall Butler of Kahler Salter said. “So we pursued it because we thought it was such a good fit for Kahler Slater, and we thought it was right in the middle of our strike zone from a value proposition.”

Kahler Slater is currently in the conceptual design phase of the hotel, focusing on how this new placemaking hotel, the anchor of the project, will fit into the downtown community.

The making of Pensacola’s new downtown district, the East Garden District (EGD), calls for a recipe of the past and the future as well as local and national influence. The history of Pensacola has been foundational to the East Garden District’s vision and brand since Chad Henderson launched the project in 2019. Dating back to 1764, Elias Durnford’s city plan for Pensacola inspired the namesake of Garden Street, once home to the City’s garden lots, and now home and inspiration to the East Garden District. Building on the EGD’s historic foundation alongside Henderson, comes the influence of talented local professionals such as Jerry Pate Design, David Fitzpatrick Civil Engineering, Ruby Engineering, Dalrymple Sallis Architects, Gulf Blue Group, and many more. These influences offer an important community focus and connection for the East Garden District.

Now, as the EGD begins the design of its boutique hotel, mixed-use building, and parking garage, Henderson has welcomed Milwaukee, Wisconsin’s Kahler Slater to the East Garden District team.

“I think drawing from Kahler Slater's experience in hospitality and activating rooftops was something that was important to us, and certainly, working with someone local like Dalrymple Sallis has been important for casting the vision of what East Garden District could be,” Henderson said. “So we think a great approach is to have a bit of both.

Somebody that has a great creative mindset 14 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

and a great sense of the local environment, but also somebody that comes from outside our area to bring a fresh set of eyes to Pensacola.”

Kahler Slater’s architects use a performancebased design process to create restaurants, hotels, medical centers, corporate headquarters and everything in between. Henderson first worked with Kahler Slater during a project with Catalyst Healthcare Real Estate, which has an office in Milwaukee. After staying at a hotel designed by Kahler Slater, Kimpton Journeyman Hotel, Henderson was completely blown away by the company’s skill, so he invited Kahler Slater to submit a

“Chad is not just passionate about that hotel.

He's passionate about Pensacola and breathing new life into that area by adding a hotel, which drives jobs and businesses,” Butler said.

“It just elevates the district even further. We want to take into account what does the local flavor feel like? What does the neighborhood feel like? It has to fit in contextually. It can’t be just a cut and paste of a Milwaukee hotel.”

Although Henderson and his team are not ready to announce the brand or soft flag of the hotel, Henderson did share more details about their plan for the hotel. The hotel, which will be at the corner of Chase and Jefferson Streets, will have nine floors, approximately 160-170 rooms, event space, a rooftop terrace and a very inviting lobby with food and beverages available for tourists and locals to enjoy.

Kahler Salter is also the architect for a parking deck, which will be located behind the hotel on Chase Street. EGD is working with the architect, parking consultants, and the City to assess the parking needs for future buildings and current buildings in the district, such as IRIS, Pensacola News Journal and the Rhodes

Building. The assessment will determine a shared parking model for the EGD and an appropriate space count for the parking deck.

Tosh Belsinger, founder of Gulf Blue Group, a real estate development and consulting company, has been aiding Henderson with developing and visioning the project.

Alongside the conceptual design of the hotel, mixed-use building, and parking deck, Belsinger, Henderson, and the EGD team have been working diligently on the Jefferson Street road diet project.

“The road diet project is at the heart of the East Garden District. Our new Jefferson Street plan calls for creating a beautifully landscaped and pedestrian friendly streetscape for all of Pensacola and its visitors to enjoy,” Belsinger said.

refinance of existing bonds, unlocked capital for downtown projects within its district, so the CRA has proposed to fund $1,375,000 of the road diet project. The Jefferson Street project is estimated at $2.1 million. EGD is currently working on an agreement with the City and the CRA. “We're very proud of our work together with the City and CRA, and we are excited to co-invest in the improvement of Jefferson Street.” Belsinger said. “It is going to be such a great transformation of that street, and the synergies that it will have with the new hotel, mixed-use building, and urban plaza will be unbelievable.”

The street diet, which narrows the street and expands the sidewalks, will be on Jefferson Street between Garden and Chase streets.

This diet will increase the walkability and safety of EGD for visitors. Studer Properties completed a similar project around Southtowne and the YMCA, located on Intendencia between Tarragona and Jefferson.

Perhaps one of the most interesting factors of this project is how quickly EGD will be able to return the city’s investment.

EGD is projecting about $2.8 million in new property tax, sales tax and bed tax per year. Within the first year of EGD being fully built out, it should be able to return the city’s investment. Belsinger explained that over the next decade, as that tax base increases, the City and CRA can use the new tax revenue to seed other growth projects within the city limits.

For the past year, Belsinger and Henderson have been working with the City of Pensacola and the Community Redevelopment Agency on the street diet. The CRA, through a

The street diet project doesn’t stop there.

EGD is using this reconstruction as an opportunity to enhance the overall appearance of the district. To draw attention

to the district’s landscape and buildings, they will be moving power poles and overhead utility lines underground. Many cities across the state are moving utilities underground to prevent damage from storms like Hurricane Sally, which left many people downtown without power for several days.

Belsinger explained that EGD is working closely with Gulf Power to implement this aspect into downtown and they are looking at solar power opportunities as well.

“This is all part of creating an inviting experience,” Henderson said. “Infrastructure, if not appropriately designed and implemented, can be an eyesore.

Taking time to work on the front end is incredibly important for creating a sense of place in the East Garden District.”

Creating a sense of place is crucial for EGD. One way it’s achieving that is by incorporating businesses the local community adores. DC Reeves, the owner of Perfect Plain, is currently in the process of making tenant improvements to his upscale brewery, The Well. The Well is EGD’s first business and will be opening soon next door to Perfect Plain. Pensacola Beach’s Papa’s Pizza will also be joining the district. This will be the restaurant's first downtown location.

“We are very excited to help bring Papa’s Pizza brand downtown. Of course, DC has done such a wonderful job with Perfect Plain, so to be able to work with him and create a place for a sister brand has been special,” Henderson said. “I think both of those brands really link us locally. We feel as though that would be a representation of great operators in our community and help bring more people to this side of downtown.”

Although there is a long journey ahead before this new downtown district is complete, the EGD gives Pensacola plenty to look forward to. If you are interested in learning more about the EGD project, visit eastgardendistrict.com.

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 15

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REBUILDING THE BLOCKS:

KUKUA INSTITUTE WORKS TO CREATE

MORE BLACK BUSINESS OWNERS

by Gina Castro

The historic Belmont-DeVilliers district has been a location of multiple developments in recent years. Luxury apartments now stand across from Blue Dot. Dozens of lavish townhomes fill the surrounding streets. Since the DeVillier’s Square building was renovated, the area is also welcoming new businesses to the neighborhood. But as old buildings and homes are replaced with modern ones, what was once there is at risk of being forgotten. Decades ago, the Belmont-DeVilliers district was the cultural and economic hub of Pensacola’s black community. This district, fondly known as “the Blocks,” was the only area black businesses were allowed to operate during segregation.

Despite this limitation, the black community thrived. It became home to Pensacola’s best burgers, fried chicken and a bustling music scene with performances from Aretha Franklin and James Brown.

Today, few pieces of this amazing history remain. The murals have faded, the music venues have closed and black business owners have become the minority in the district. Kukua Institute, a black-owned nonprofit, is bringing back the cultural and historical significance of the Blocks along with economic development. Kukua Institute is a complex nonprofit that uses art, history, science and technology to both grow and share the cultural, intellectual and economic abilities of African Americans.

Kukua Institute Board Chair, Lloyd Reshard grew up in Tallahassee and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in electrical engineering. Reshard did a co-op with Eglin Air Force Base’s Research Laboratory for the majority of his career from 1989- 2012. While working at

the Air Force Research Laboratory, he investigated alternative ways to process data and found that artificial intelligence was the number one way. He also founded the National Science Foundation’s most successful center: the Center for HighPerformance Reconfigurable Computing.

While Lloyd focuses on the science and technological aspects of Kukua, his wife and Kukua Executive Director, Robin Reshard’s expertise is in art and history.

Robin, is known for her company Robert Robino Productions and her Belmont-DeVilliers documentary.

The couple started to learn about the AfricanAmerican culture and history in the BelmontDeVilliers area when Robin got an office in DeVilliers Square around 2008. Shortly after

moving to her office, Robin began working on a documentary about the district.

“As she was interviewing other people for the documentary, I learned about the history of Belmont-DeVilliers and how it was a great business district,” Lloyd said. “It was a nationally known business district in the United States. It was pretty amazing to hear all those stories. Hearing those African-American stories about the business people here drew us into the area here, so what Robin and I decided to do was focus on trying to recapture some of that business that this area was known for.”

The two started tossing around the idea of starting a nonprofit after Lloyd participated on the steering committee for the Chamber of Commerce’s strategic economic development plan and discovered Pensacola had a youth brain drain, which is when young professionals leave the city to seek opportunities elsewhere.

“The youth brain drain makes a community die. Having retired from the Air Force Research Lab, I knew if you engage with the students when they are in college through projects and internships with local companies, they could actually establish a connection here,” Lloyd said. “I saw that a lot during my experience with the government.”

Robin needed funding for additional projects about the district, but she needed a fiduciary deficit nonprofit. nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 17

REBUILDING THE BLOCKS In 2016, the two felt compelled to start Kukua Institute to save the historic D’Alemberte home, which was built in 1884. The home was set to be demolished and replaced by a stormwater pit for the townhomes on Gregory Street just east of DeVilliers Street. The Reshards were able to save the home by moving it to their property in the district on North Coyle Street, and Kukua Institute was formed.

The D’Alemberte home is now Kukua’s Ezra Gerry Museum and Research Center. Ezra Gerry was a black man who worked in the maritime industry at Pensacola Port during the late 1800s when Jim Crow laws were introduced.

This museum features one of the nonprofit’s first projects: Real Blocks.

Kukua Using humanoid combined the robots, Kukua history of the teaches students history, arts and Blocks with culture. virtual reality to create an interactive map of the Belmont-DeVilliers district from 1885 to 1940. Robin earned a grant from ACE to fund Real Blocks. Robin partnered with UWF history professor Dr. Jamin Wells along with five UWF graduate students to collect information about Gerry’s life, the working class and African Americans, since their lives weren’t documented.

The students each took a chunk of the timeline and researched it extensively.

Kukua created a three-dimensional virtual reality map from a 1907 Sanborn map. So people who visit the museum will be able to tour the neighborhood and see the businesses and people who lived there. Lloyd recalled a time one of the students was incredibly grateful for her experience with this project.

“In the following year, there were 20 undergraduate students that did the research on Ezra Gerry’s life. There was only one black student, and she wrote a long email to the professor,” Lloyd said. “And that was really touching because she started to understand what black history was all about.”

18 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

Kukua isn’t focusing on just the past.

They are preparing students for the future of work. Another pillar of Kukua is the Center for the Innovation Workforce.

This center prepares students for the innovation economy by giving them hands-on experience with virtual reality, robotics, data science, AI and computing.

Lloyd explained that the center will be used for project-based learning for students. Many colleges focus on teaching students theories about engineering and technology rather than hands-on experiences with innovation and technology. This lack of experience then causes the students to be unprepared for the workforce and causes the youth brain drain in cities. An innovation lab is also different from the usual STEM lab. Rather than focusing on actually making the product, they focus on creating the idea that has never been done before and testing it through tools like AI. “The future work means, for example, by 2030, only nine percent of the workforce is going to be full time. People don’t really realize how fast automation is moving in. So when you think of what makes Amazon and Google so powerful, it’s that their workers spend most of the time creating new ideas—innovating,” Lloyd said. “And then there’s just a few people that are actually doing the execution work. Whereas the old way you had 80 to 90 percent of people doing execution work and nobody doing automation work.”

The Center for the Innovation Workforce then creates the talent for launching startups in Pensacola. In 2015, startups created two million jobs in the U.S. alone. Kukua launched its newest program Startup on the Blocks, which is a networking and education initiative intended to connect black business entrepreneurs with mentors and potential collaborators.

“Innovation disrupts the current industry and grows the economy faster than traditional small businesses. These large companies account for only 20 percent of jobs,” Lloyd said. “Whereas these high growth startups account for over 50 percent of the new jobs.

So that’s why you have to create a startup ecosystem to grow these companies.”

Kukua chose to focus Startup on the Blocks on helping African-American entrepreneurs because of racial inequality in the U.S. A study by Prosperity Now and the Institute for Policy Studies found that the median wealth for black Americans will fall to $0 by 2053, if current trends continue. Latino-Americans are also experiencing a sustained downward wealth slide and are expected to hit $0 in 2073.

“Why I chose people of color is because of the automation from all of these startups and big companies. The studies show that the medium black wealth will go to zero by 2053,” Lloyd said. “And since COVID-19 happened, they said it’s going to happen more than 10 years earlier. And one way you overcome that is by teaching founders of color how to do these high growth startups.”

To learn more about Startup on the Blocks and Kukua Institute, visit kukuainstitute.org. 

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GETTING THE

MOST FROM YOUR WEBSITE BUDGET

by Jevon Young

L

ong before “Corona� meant anything to most Americans other than a Mexican beer you enjoy with a lime wedge, consumers had already shifted to doing much of their shopping online. As our phones got smaller, smarter and faster, the work of researching brands, finding products, comparing prices and weighing options became easier and easier.

<There were still a few local companies, however, that managed to do business the old-fashioned way. A convenient location, inviting window displays, recommendations from loyal customers and friendly sales people made it possible

to avoid entering the digital age in any meaningful way. In fact, some owners took this whole technology-avoidance thing as a point of pride: they wore the ability to keep doing things the way they always had in the past like a badge of honor.

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 21

This past August, a Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce report showed that while total retail sales in the second quarter of 2020 decreased by an estimated 3.9 percent compared to the same period in 2019, online sales increased by 44.5 percent.

Retrieved from US Census

Then 2020 happened. A spring and summer of all-butempty parking lots, practically barren streets and nearly nonexistent foot traffic caused many of these business owners to face the ugly prospect of closing up shop. Even for some industries not under a mandated closure, it just didn’t make sense to keep the lights on and pay employees to run the register when no one was coming in to buy.

By comparison many fully online businesses—and owners of brick-and-mortar stores who had previously invested in a robust online presence—are doing a better job of surviving the economic slowdown. In fact, some of these organizations are actually thriving with the increased online traffic and shifting behaviors of consumers. While the virus certainly didn’t initiate most of these changes in how consumers buy, it seems to have accelerated the pace and reach of that change.

There’s lots of very interesting debate about the best way

22 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

to move our country’s economy forward in the age of COVID-19, but there’s no question that the pandemic has made it more important than ever for most businesses to be online. And that brings us to the real catch-22: the downturn has left budgets tighter than ever, right when an investment in a nice website could help save a small business.

To help those of you who are taking a first look at building a new website or updating an old one, here’s some advice for getting the most out of your budget, whatever it may be.

Identify Your Needs and Set Your Goals Over the years, I’ve heard numerous business owners declare, “I need a website!”

While that was true in most cases, many of them didn’t understand the underlying reasons behind why they needed a website. They knew their competitors had sites, and that there were lots of people finding the products or services they sold online, but that was about it.

For some of these owners, when I asked what they wanted in a site, they showed me examples of websites chock full of flashy animations and visually stunning videos.

While this eye candy can help to draw in potential new clients, these elements only make sense when they support a website’s core features. When you jump to the fun stuff without doing the hard work of planning and laying out a functional foundation, it’s all just so much fluff.

same questions over and over? Then a well-designed FAQ page can cut down on those productivity-sapping conversations. Do you need to show potential clients your experience providing the exact services they’re looking for?

Then a robust, multi-media case study system can prove that your company is the one they need. Is your business not showing up in relevant Google searches? Then a lean, mean, SEO-optimized website is of prime importance.

To make sure your website is worth the investment, the first thing you should do is sit down and think about your goals for an online presence.

For most businesses, these goals are tied to everyday communication problems that a website can help solve.

Letting clients know who you are, where you’re located, what you do and why you do it better than anyone else is a good start. From there, try thinking about the bottlenecks in your daily workflows.

While most businesses need a combination of these and other common features, some businesses need very specific solutions tailored to unique challenges. Understanding what you need a website to do for your business before you get started will help make sure you get the solutions you need and avoid the pitfall of paying for what you don’t. You can then discuss these goals with your developer who will use them to construct a road map to shape the structure, layout and features that are most important to you.

Do your employees spend a lot of time answering the

Find the Right Developer for What You Need With an understanding of your goals, you can start your search for the right company or individual to help you reach them. During this process, you’re likely to find a big difference in the pricing and details of what’s included from different developers.

If you’re getting quotes from several companies, (always a good idea) be sure to get fully fleshed-out proposals in writing so you can compare them. If you find anything that isn’t clear, don’t hesitate to ask for more details. Any developer worth their salt shouldn’t have a problem providing explanations in layman’s terms.

There are also big differences in the skill sets of individual developers and agencies.

If you’re working with a relatively small budget, you may find prices are lower from a freelance developer than you’ll pay for an agency team with a wide range of talents.

While there are a few unicorns out there who excel at everything, most individual

developers have a particular focus. For example, some are great designers who may use visual builders to make up for a lack of coding knowledge, while others may be brilliant coders who use pre-made design templates to make up for a lack of artistic talent. Agencies, on the other hand, tend to have teams of people that can bring together beautiful designs and great coding—but be prepared to pay more for this comprehensive solution.

If you’ve taken the time to identify the problems you want to solve, you can use that information to make selecting the right provider easier. Once you’ve obtained a few quotes, compare the details in each proposal. Some developers offer quick and easy bare-bones solutions that are economical but may lack originality or customization options. At the other end of the spectrum, you may find highly customized designs or one-off implementations of proprietary software.

Then there are integrations with automated marketing campaigns and yearly contracts for services such as content writing or website maintenance.

Finding someone to create the right mix of these features in your budget might take some work but is totally worth the effort. Before

you sign with anyone, beware of inflexible developers that are not willing to customize their offerings to include only what you need, and pay close attention to the fine print in any contract. In particular, be on the lookout for long-term commitments with recurring payments that can quickly eclipse the benefits of a relatively cheap initial cost.

Understand What’s Included and What Isn’t When you’re looking for inspiration by visiting a well-designed website, the overall experience may appear seamless. However, there are actually many separate parts involved, such as highresolution photography, professional graphics, unique logos, engaging videos and well-written content. All of these items play important roles in creating a great experience, and chances are not of all them will be included in a developer’s proposal. Take the time to understand what is included and what you’ll need to purchase or provide separately to avoid budget-busting surprises.

Speaking of budgets, keep in mind that designing, developing and populating a website is an important first step, but there are many other technical factors involved in launching a site and keeping it running well. Obtaining and registering a domain name, hosting your files, and periodically performing updates and security fixes to

the coding are all part of starting and maintaining an effective website.

Other tasks that will likely need to be performed regularly to keep your site looking fresh include adding new written content, swapping out images and updating business and contact information. If your website is built with a userfriendly content management system (CMS), you may be able to perform these tasks yourself, but there is typically a bit of a learning curve if you haven’t done it before. Unless you’re comfortable with the process or with taking the time to learn how, it may be better to pay a company to manage your site and keep it functioning smoothly.

Go with Your Gut If you run a small business in today’s economy, it’s likely that you’ve developed a decent radar for who you can trust.

Don’t ignore these instincts or get overwhelmed by technological terms and jargon when talking to developers.

At its core, the business of designing and developing websites rests on the same principles as any other B2B service. If the company or individual has good online ratings and is responsive, open and collaborative when you contact them, there’s a good chance that you’ll end up with a good product when all is said and done. />

About the Author: Jevon Young is the COO and content/UX specialist at CleverOgre, a Pensacola-based firm providing web design and development, graphic design and advertising services since 2008. nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 23

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A Garden Oasis:

THE GARDEN AT PALAFOX & MAIN OPENS by Dakota Parks

Photos by Garrett Hallbauer

When Michael Carro first opened the Al Fresco food court seven years ago, he set out to bring Airstream food trucks to downtown Pensacola, a concept he encountered while traveling.

Locals quickly latched onto the food court and Al Fresco became a staple to the Pensacola food scene.

However, Florida’s blazing sun and frequent rain often left customers ducking under patio umbrellas. In November 2019, Carro and his business partners broke ground on the redesign and rebrand to not only build a roof over the court but to also bring a garden oasis downtown. The Garden at Palafox & Main had its soft opening in July with staggered food truck and kiosk openings.

“When I first developed Al Fresco, I made three monumental errors and this was my chance to fix them,” Carro explained. “First, when you’re an outdoor venue that’s weather dependent, you can lose a lot of business when it storms. Second, I brought in tenants that I knew would pay rent, but I didn’t account for whether they provided good customer service or kept good hours of operation. Lastly, each restaurant was equally responsible for maintaining and cleaning the food court, which didn’t work. Now we have a paid employee that takes care of the food court.”

Getting the food court covered was the top priority of the redesign; however, it also provided the opportunity to fix the layout of the property and bring in additional merchants. The Garden now features four Airstream food trucks, five merchant kiosks and an integrated and accessible bar named the Perennial Patio Bar operated by the owners of Perfect Plain Brewing Co. and Garden & Grain. The open-air design of the food court still remains intact with open entrances and airflow facilitated by four industrial brand Big Ass Fans.

When you walk into The Garden, the first thing you may notice are four palm trees emerging through the top of the roof like a tropical jungle, closely followed by the smell of delicious food. It was designed to look like a building that had been there for hundreds of years to fit into the historical aesthetics of downtown Pensacola. The lot originally had 14 palm trees on it and the modified roof allowed them to keep the four corner palms. Leaning into the design, the lush vegetation and plant wall were then designed by Heroman Plant Company.

“One of my partners, Cleve Bellar is a brand manager and he thought it would be great to incorporate more plants and foliage into The Garden,” Carro explained. “We were able to save elements from Al Fresco like our planters and create this lush outdoor oasis. We still have more plants to add. On the Instagram wall, you can see these great big leaves that Cleve designed to look like a butterfly. Those same green leaves are incorporated throughout our business signage.”

The new merchants and tenants in The Garden are under individual leases varying in length. Carro explained that the reopening has allowed him to create what he calls an “incubator for business” to allow people to come into the space and try out a new concept or menu without jeopardizing their finances. Tenants can come in for short term rentals to work out their own business concepts rather than purchasing or renting their own brick and mortar businesses.

The Garden has also been dedicated to following social distancing protocol.

The staggered openings of merchants and food trucks allowed them to monitor crowd control and work out the flow of the space. Tables are spaced out under the new roof and also line the outside perimeter of the building. The new staff helps keep tables clean and sanitized between guests and they even introduced contactless ordering with a QR Barcode that allows customers to order directly from their table.

The current food trucks and merchants offer a diverse shopping and dining experience. The Garden is now open from 10 am to 9 pm daily with food trucks opening at 11 am and kiosks opening at various times listed below.

Visit thegardenpensacola.com to check out full menu offerings, order online and learn about new merchant or food truck openings.

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 25

FOOD TRUCKS

E-Saan Thai Street Food From the owner of SaBai on Jefferson, Pam VanNess is offering up a whole new menu with bold and creative street foods. VanNess is excited to show Pensacola that there is more to Thai food than just Pad Thai and Curry. While SaBai offers traditional dishes like Khi Mao and curries, E-Saan offers dishes like Som-Tum Papaya Salad, Gai Yaang, Naree’s Noodles and sweet treats like Mango & Sweet Sticky Rice and Boba tea drinks.

Boca Latin Kitchen Brought to you by the owners of Mr. Pollo, Maria and Eduardo Arraez, Boca is a new concept serving up authentic Venezuelan street food. At their restaurant Mr. Pollo, guests can enjoy Peruvian style charcoal chicken and Latin-inspired side dishes. The owners are excited to bring more Latin food options to Pensacola. You can enjoy some of these staple dishes at the new food truck: Tequeños, Arepas, Empanadas, Yucas Locas and Patacon.

Don’t miss out on the Vanilla Flan and Tres Leche Cake!

Calavera Tacos An Al Fresco original tenant, Calavera is owned by Samantha Burmeister and will continue to offer Mexican cuisine at The Garden. Calavera serves up pork, beef, chicken, chorizo, shrimp and Mahi Mahi tacos. If that’s not enough, they have burritos, quesadillas, nachos and house made guacamole to make your mouth water. As the daughter of a Marine veteran and local sheriff’s deputy, Samantha said her restaurant will offer a 10-percent discount for active military members and first responders.

Melt Gourmet Sandwiches & Mac N’ Cheese Owner Kendrick Hobbs created the new food concept in tandem with his wife one night while discussing different ways to make mac n’ cheese. Melt’s menu unleashes your cheese-loving inner-child. They serve up a variety of sandwiches like the Philly Cheesesteak Melt, Pulled Pork Melt and Chicken Parmesan Melt.

Of course, you can’t forget to try the infamous Pulled Pork Mac N’ Cheese. Melt also has a mobile food truck operating in Pensacola, Pace and Milton areas.

26 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

KIOSKS The Petaler

Darios Bake Shop

Start date night off right by grabbing some fresh cut flowers, candles and gifts for your special someone.

The Petaler is a woman owned and operated small floral boutique owned by Calavera’s food truck owner Samantha Burmeister. They specialize in dried floral arrangements, fresh cut flowers, house plants, candles and unique gifts.

Open Tuesday to Sunday 11 am–5 pm.

Owner Manuel “Manny” Rodriguez has a lifelong passion for cooking. After spending several years studying culinary arts and working for renowned chefs and celebrities, Manny has come back to Pensacola to share his passion for cooking with the community.

Swing by for some unique Venezuelan baked goods, desserts and snacks. Open daily 8 am–2 pm.

Deorum Owner Sindy Hernandez is dedicated to creating healthy treats that no one has to feel guilty about. The namesake comes from the Latin word “deorum,” which means drinks or food from the Gods. Hernandez is excited to bring a healthy option into The Garden that offers zero-additive sugars on the menu. Come treat yourself to an acai bowl, smoothie or fresh fruit juice. Open daily 8 am–5 pm.

Old Palafox Snow Cones Owner Michael Bush is serving up a classic with over a dozen different flavor syrups. Stop by to cool off with a classic snow cone. Open daily 11am–8 pm.

Petunia’s Bakery Owner Dana Dugas decided to expand Petunia’s Bakery from her sister shop on Cervantes Street to spread smiles and cupcakes downtown Pensacola. Many of her sweet treats are named after Pensacola icons such as Graffiti Bridge, The Bluffs, Blackwater and The Blue Angel. Petunia’s Bakery has staple cupcake flavors on the menu available every day as well as scheduled day-of-the-week flavors like Smores, Key Lime and Pineapple Right Side Up. Open daily 11 am–7 pm and open until 8 pm on Friday and Saturday.

DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES OPEN AMID COVID-19 PANDEMIC

by Hunter Morrison

Nationally, economists project that more flowers, The Gordon is a place for all to The COVID-19 pandemic than 100,000 small businesses have closed come together to create and inspire. The permanently due to COVID-19. This has Gordon also hosts monthly open house has affected us in ways wreaked havoc on our economy, leaving events to showcase art displays from millions unemployed as individuals their local artist of the month. Christine unimaginable. Whether it struggle to make ends meet. Despite Kellogg, artistic director of PenArts and that, new small businesses in Pensacola owner of The Gordon, believes that the be through cancellations, continue to open in light of these trying arts can bridge boundaries between us times.

With safety measures set in place and hopes to make this facility one for layoffs or financial hardship, to keep customers safe, Pensacolians all to enjoy within the community. have a handful of new restaurants, shops everyday life has been and other businesses to discover as the CLEAN EATZ world slowly returns to normal. drastically altered.

Clean Eatz is a new restaurant that provides healthy and affordable alternatives to fast Small businesses in particular TASTE OF JERUSALEM food. Opening in July 2020, Clean Eatz is Our first stop is at Taste of Jerusalem, which a healthy café company that offers a variety seem to have been hurt actually opened in June 2018 but recently of nutritious menu items, grab-and-go moved to a larger location in August 2020. options and meal plans accustomed to fit the most by this pandemic.

This new 8,000 square foot facility offers your dietary needs. Customers at Clean Eatz a meat market, a bakery, a restaurant can request a meal to be made with extra According to a survey and a grocery store that serves fresh and protein or low carbs. This 3,100 square foot authentic food from Jerusalem. Opening facility comes equipped with freezers full of conducted by Main Street his first restaurant in Peoria, Illinois, owner pre-prepped items, a kitchen and a dining America, more than 90 percent Ray Sehweil hopes to bring his culture’s area for customers. The Build A Bowl food to those of Pensacola by serving a entrée is a popular choice at Clean Eatz. of small businesses in the combination of Middle Eastern, Palestinian It gives you the option to choose the base, and Israeli dishes. Menu items include protein and veggies, prepared the way you United States have seen a kebab platters, shawarma, sandwiches, like it and served with a drink. falafel and more. Taste of Jerusalem is a decrease in revenue since community-based restaurant located in But Clean Eatz offers so much more than the Brownsville district of Pensacola. that, including wraps, flatbreads, smoothies March of this year. Florida and family options all at an affordable price.

“I’m really passionate about this,” Sam ranks number 16 for small THE GORDON COMMUNITY Poppell, owner of Clean Eatz Pensacola, ARTS CENTER said. “I actually lost 170 pounds eating our businesses that have been The Gordon Community Arts Center is meal plans, so it’s a big deal for me to try also new to Pensacola. It had its first art to help as many people as possible live as most affected by COVID-19 in display in August 2020. Located in the healthy a lifestyle as possible.” With new heart of Pensacola’s Belmont-DeVilliers meal options circulated every week, Clean the U.S., according to a study district, The Gordon provides a variety of Eatz offers a fresh assortment of properly resources to artists from all over.

Offering portioned meals at a price that you can

by WalletHub. Pensacola has a black-box studio theatre, a soundproof afford. Clean Eatz is located off of Navy music room, a library of scripts and scores Boulevard inside the old Arby’s building. been no exception to this. and a community garden with herbs and 28 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

REX PENSACOLA

As longtime Pensacola natives are aware, the REX Theatre on Palafox Street has undergone numerous changes since the building’s initial construction almost 100 years ago. The building, which is currently owned by Generation Church, sits empty the majority of the time, so its owners decided it was time for a change.

Collaborating with One Goal Productions, the REX Theatre will soon be revitalized with comedy nights for all to enjoy.

Equipped with a large stage and two-level seating for about 500 people, the REX Theatre will offer its patrons national acts in an intimate setting. The theatre plans to begin its comedy nights with weekend shows, but booking promoter Tom Coverly hopes to eventually have shows at the REX every night of the week. “We want to bring in national acts,” Coverly said. “The biggest names in comedy is our plan to bring in.”

Aside from stand-up comics, the REX Theatre will offer a variety of entertainment

acts such as magic shows, blues bands and other entertainment options seldom offered to Pensacolians. One Goal Productions is a bullying and suicide prevention nonprofit with a mission of bringing hope to those who may be suffering through comedy entertainment. A percentage of ticket sales will go toward the nonprofit. One Goal Productions is looking for community businesses to sponsor the REX Theatre to help bring in larger acts. The first comedy show at the REX is scheduled for early October 2020.

KALBI ICHIBAN

A new Korean barbecue restaurant has come to Pensacola. Kalbi Ichiban, located on West Garden Street, is the only restaurant in downtown Pensacola that allows its customers to grill food right at their own table. Opening in spring 2020, Kalbi Ichiban is one of only two Korean barbecue restaurants in Pensacola. In addition to cook-at-yourtable Korean barbecue, Kalbi Ichiban offers

its customers a full menu which includes popular items such as bulgogi, chicken bokkeum and cabbage kimchi. The new Korean restaurant also offers more than 100 sushi dish varieties and a full sake bar. This 5,500 square foot restaurant has something to offer for the entire family.

Whether you’re a foodie, a comedy buff or an artist, these new Pensacola businesses have something for just about everyone. As COVID-19 continues to ravage our economy, now more than ever is an important time to support local businesses. Day by day, small businesses are struggling to keep up revenue as well as morale. So please, if you are healthy enough, try a new restaurant or see a new show. More importantly, don’t forget to wear a mask and practice social distancing whenever you can.

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WHAT’S NEW IN

DEVELOPMENT b y D ako ta Parks, Ab ig ail D e n n ey an d H u nte r M o rriso n

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F YO U A S K T H E LO C A L S , t h e y w ill t e ll y o u t h a t t h e b e a t in g h e a r t t o P e n s a co la is lo c a t e d d o w n t o w n —a c lo s e s e co n d o n t h e lis t is P e n s a co la B e a c h .

As th e city g row s an d ad ap ts to th e n e e d s o f re sid e nts, th e co re to th e city d eve lo p s w ith it. With th e am o u nt o f in d u stry ch u rn in g th ro u g h Pe n saco la fro m re tail, b an kin g, cyb e rse cu rity, h e alth care, m ilitary an d h o sp itality, n ew d eve lo p m e nts b e co m e a vital o rg an to p rovid in g ad d itio n al jo b o p p o rtu n itie s, e co n o m ic g row th an d h o u sin g o p tio n s.

D eve lo p m e nts like th e East G ard e n D istrict an d We st M ain M aste r Plan w ill ch an g e th e ve ry face o f d ow ntow n , w h ile o ff e rin g n ew m ixe d -u se d sp ace s fo r re tail, re stau rant, lu xu ry h o te l, fi n e d in in g an d re sid e ntial ap artm e nts. Wh e n

th e se p ro je cts b re ak g ro u n d, th e u p d ate d in frastru ctu re in clu d in g p ark in g, m ovin g p owe rlin e s u n d e rg ro u n d an d fo cu sin g o n p e d e strian acce ssib ility w ill co ntin u e to in cre ase th e w alk ab ility o f d ow ntow n .

As th e aff o rd ab ility o f h o u sin g b e co m e s a cru cial issu e, w ith in itiative s like 500 H o m e s in 5 Ye ars h ap p e n in g at th e city leve l an d Wo rkfo rce H o u sin g at th e co u nty leve l, n ew d eve lo p m e nts w ill co ntin u e to fl o u rish acro ss th e city an d e n su re th at all re sid e nts o f Pe n saco la h ave safe acce ss to h o u sin g. Vista 17 at Ce rvante s Stre e t is th e n ewe st aff o rd ab le h o u sin g ap artm e nt co m p lex so o n to b e g in its re ntal p ro ce ss.

O th e r re sid e ntial h o u sin g d eve lo p m e nts like th e G ard e n D istrict Co ttag e s, Savoy Place an d G irard P lace o ff e r a varie ty o f h o u sin g o p tio n s w ith

lo catio n as a to p am e n ity—in cre asin g th e d e sirab ility o f th e d ow ntow n life style, w h e re a b ite to e at o r a p lace to sh o p is ju st a sh o rt w alk aw ay.

O n e o f d ow ntow n’s b ig g e st attractio n s is its b u stlin g fo o d co m m u n ity, g row in g all th e stro n g e r b y n ew d eve lo p m e nts like th e B lu e Jay B ake ry Exp an sio n , Jo e Patti’s Se afo o d R e stau rant & D e li m ovin g into th e o ld Cyp re ss b u ild in g an d B e lm o nt H all p lan n in g to o ff e r o u td o o r eve nt sp ace as we ll as re stau rant an d ve n d o r sp ace fo r asp irin g ch e fs.

As Pe n saco la re b o u n d s fro m CO VID -19 an d a d evastatin g h u rrican e se aso n , n ew d eve lo p m e nts also b e co m e a cru cial ave n u e to b o o st th e lo cal e co n o m y. »

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 31

WHAT’S NEW IN DEVELOPMENT

Blue Jay’s Bakery Expansion

Garden District Cottages The Garden District Cottages is a Master Planned Community located on a quiet street in downtown Pensacola.

The 26 homes are the only brand new, single family residential development in the area, starting at $189,000.

The Garden District Cottages were planned over the course of two years before announcing to the public for purchase. City of Pensacola purchased the property in 2011 using grant funding from the Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block grant.

Garden District Cottages is located at the former Blount School property. The Blount School was demolished, and City of Pensacola put out a request for proposals to build.

ParsCo won the bid and the development of the property.

The exterior design reflects the architectural styles from the old south, focusing on the dynamic southern

flavors that make Pensacola so memorable. ParsCo, LLC designed four different floor plans to choose from: The Belmont, The Baylen, The Liberty and The La Rua. They are all three bedrooms with at least two bathrooms that are built uniquely to fit their architectural design.

Six of the 26 homes were reserved for the City Housing Incentive Program. One incentive home has already been sold to a police officer.

All new residents include a one-year builder’s warranty and doesn’t have HOA fees. Homeowners in this community will be within walking distance of Palafox Street, Maritime Park and might be able to catch a ball from the Blue Wahoos Stadium.

To reserve your home in a Garden District Cottage contact Amy Lee Fooladi at Voyage Real Estate.

32 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

Blue Jay’s Bakery has been a part of the downtown area since 2016. Founder and owner, Justine Gudmunson McCain is a gulf coast native herself.

McCain went off to culinary school and then worked in the San Francisco area doing what she loved most, baking. Her goal when coming back to the Pensacola area was to provide French inspired desserts and custom cakes for any occasion.

The bakery was such a success that McCain took over the adjacent retail space to open their sister company: The Nest General Store.

It’s a coffeehouse, breakfast cafe, and a home essentials store all in one. The Nest offers local ingredients and coffee, organic produce, vegetarian/vegan options and home essentials. They serve

breakfast and lunch with a healthy grab-n-go selection.

Their menu is a collection of their coworker’s favorite dishes they like to make.

The Nest is breaking away from the mainstream coffee shop and is offering CBD coffee. Non-GMO and organic CBD droplets can be added to a customer’s order upon request. The CBD coffee is one of McCain’s favorite things they have to offer.

With lounge seating and a progressive atmosphere, it’s the perfect place to grab a coffee with a friend or work on your laptop. The Nest has bright white walls with plant décor and white accents, creating an energetic aesthetic.

The Nest is open Monday through Friday from 7 am until 4 pm.

Vista 17 Vista 17 at Cervantes offers brand new two-bedroom affordable apartments with convenient amenities in a wellloved Pensacola location. The apartment complex was built

by Cambridge Management Inc. in 2020 with 73 units.

This project has been in the process since they officially closed on the site in 2017, purchasing it for $800,000.

They were so keen about this location because it was in walking distance from shops and events along West Cervantes Street and North Pace Boulevard. The estimated

construction cost was about $7 million.

All units range from 930 square feet to 1,000 square feet that includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms.

These apartments offer spacious floor plans, private master baths and a walk-in closet. Their amenities include a playground, community room, fitness center and a shuffleboard court.

Vista 17 offers something for all walks of life. Vista 17 at Cervantes allows pets with some restrictions. They allow

two pets to include a dog, cat, or small caged animal up to 35 pounds at maturity.

Certain breeds and species are restricted. They advise you to call for details.

Rent starts at $803 a month and includes utilities such as water, trash removal and sewer.

Compared to other apartments in the area, Vista 17 offers

very affordable apartments.

Although, there are income restrictions. Their leasing office is not yet ready for visitors, but they are collecting contact information for their interest list. You can contact them to provide your name and number so you can be the first to know when they begin accepting applications.

Patti’s Seafood Restaurant will be collaborating with Emerald Coast Bread, so there will be updates made to the menu to incorporate the bread company.

An exciting part of the expansion is that the patio features new additions and a beer garden with lounge seating for guests. This new downtown space will help establish a relaxing laid back experience perfect for weekend nights and drinks after work.

Captain Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant is officially open.

Its business hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10:30 am to 4:25 and closed on Sundays and Mondays.

Captain Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant moves to Garden Street Captain Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant is taking over Cypress’s former location in downtown Pensacola this fall.

In August, Cypress’s owners McKenzie Lovelace and Luca DiSomma announced that they are permanently closing their bread company due to COVID19’s impact on the restaurant’s business. They announced that their plan for the building was to sublease it to a well-known Pensacola business. Recently, Joey Patti’s General Manager Charles Merritt confirmed that they will be subleasing the downtown space.

Captain Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant has been located right next door to their parent business for 33 years on South B Street. They moving closer to downtown will improve the restaurant’s business. At their former location, Joey Patti’s Seafood Restaurant wasn’t able to sign a long-term lease, which led them to look for a location elsewhere.

The move will also open the door to serve alcohol at the restaurant. The general manager bought out Cypress’s liquor license and will be able to serve liquor, beer and wine at the new location. Plus, Joey

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 33

WHAT’S NEW IN DEVELOPMENT

Pensacola Technology Campus

Savoy Place The Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission (PEDC) has issued an Invitation to Negotiate for the Pensacola Technology Campus as they seek private sector partners with an interest in developing the property.

The campus has remained unused for many years, but the nine acre property has plenty of potential. The property is located in the Historic Downtown Business District. The Technology Campus is perfect for any type of development, from a regional headquarters, security operation center, business process outsourcing

location, and research and development facility to retail, residential, and mixed use. The property itself sits between the 10,000 seat Pensacola Bay Center adjacent to the I-110 connector and the Aragon Subdivision, a bay front neighborhood built with charm and new urbanism principles sitting on 21 acres with 141 mixed use building sites. The Pensacola Technology Campus could be a great opportunity to local and national investors. If you are interested in learning more about this property, visit floridawesteda.com/ development-opportunity.

DeVilliers Street Revitalization Project Phase II The City of Pensacola’s project to revitalize the DeVilliers district streets is expected to begin this month. The DeVilliers Street Revitalization Project Phase II covers Garden Street to Cervantes Street. This project is intended to make streetscape improvements that include sidewalks, lighting, landscaping 34 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

and traffic calming. This project will also improve the appearance of the district by enhancing the current landscape and adding trees. Construction is expected to be completed by spring 2021, weather permitting, and a city construction inspector will be monitoring the project progress daily. Proper signage will be

Corner of Wright and DeVilliers Streets

The Belmont DeVillers district will be welcoming new residential and retail space, and it is set to be completed this fall. Residents of Savoy Place will find themselves in the middle of one of Pensacola’s most prominent cultural hubs. Walking distance from delicious restaurants and upand-coming businesses, Savoy Place is the place to be. Savoy Place offers six retail spaces on its first floor and 24 apartment units within the rest of the complex. Project features of this urban complex include plentiful parking for residents and a beautiful gated green area equipped with gas grills, stationary workout equipment, a fire pit and outdoor gaming areas with cornhole and table tennis. Savoy Place offers

clearly designated for safe flow of vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Accommodations for local access to residential properties during this period will be required by the contractor and closely monitored by the city.

The Community Redevelopment Agency awarded a contract to J. Miller Construction Inc.

two-bedroom apartments with rent ranging from $1,410 to $1,550. The complex also offers two-bedroom apartments that include a patio. Studer Properties, the developer of this complex, is hoping to expand Pensacola’s downtown lifestyle to the BelmontDeVilliers neighborhood by revitalizing vacant lots with retail and housing. As with Southtowne’s integration into downtown Pensacola, Savoy Place is primed to please both residents and retail tenants.

Studer Properties is working closely with NAI Pensacola to find retail tenants to lease the available retail spacing.

Savoy Place will provide an unparalleled charm to the district that both visitors and residents will enjoy. For more information, please visit livesavoypensacola.com or call (833)-261-0678. You can also contact Studer Properties by visiting studerproperties.com or calling (850)-696-2414.

to complete the DeVilliers Street Revitalization Project.

This revitalization project is estimated to cost $30 million.

For questions about this project, please contact City of Pensacola Capital Improvement Projects Manager David Forte.

Former School Board Building

Fosko Expansion

200 West Garden Street Developers are modernizing the site of a former Escambia County School Board building and USO building. Located just blocks from shopping, restaurants and other entertainment, this 4.5-acre lot could be the future site of a new apartment complex.

The lot of 200 Garden West has seen many changes over the years, but never has it seen residential space. Although the USO building that sat on this lot was recently demolished, those passing by may still notice the historical brick arches that have been left behind by the developer. Even though the USO building is no longer standing, the developer plans to preserve the former Escambia County School Board building that sits on the same property.

It has not been determined how many units this new

development will house, but it is expected that the cost of each unit will be close to the market rate. Future residents of 200 Garden West will find themselves within footsteps of Restaurant Iron, Old Hickory Whiskey Bar and many other well-known downtown Pensacola establishments. The lot also sits a mere four blocks from the Pensacola Bay. The now-demolished USO building that once stood on the project site was a hub for veterans and sailors alike during World War II. The energy that once radiated through the walls of the USO was vivacious and fastpaced. Developer Ed Carson hopes to revitalize the site of 200 Garden West to its once former pristine. The project is currently in its early stages, so it could be a while before construction begins.

Hawkshaw Property East Ramona Street A new $30M condominium development is coming to East Ramona Street. Located across from Veteran’s Memorial Park, the Hawkshaw Property will be comprised of 55 condominium units varying in size from 775 square feet to 1805 square feet.

The property will consist of three buildings which will be separated by luscious tree-lined auto courts and beautifully landscaped parking areas. The Hawkshaw Property will be comprised of both residential and commercial units. The site will have eight studioloft units, 43 two-bedroom units and four one-bedroom

units. The development will also include 23,000 square feet of commercial space.

The commercial space may be home to future retail stores, restaurants or fitness centers. Other project features of this site include floor to ceiling window walls, covered parking spaces, large covered balconies and unobstructed views of Pensacola Bay. The Hawkshaw Property is just steps from local parks and neighborhoods, including the dog-friendly Admiral Mason Park, Veteran’s Memorial Park and the nearby neighborhood of Aragon. The site is also close

Fosko Coffee Barre has been serving freshly brewed coffee in the heart of downtown for several years. Located on North Palafox Street, this coffee shop serves handcrafted lattes, espresso drinks, house made cold brew, crepes, and cocktails. Fosko has been loved by locals for years, so you can imagine how excited the community was to hear that they were planning on expanding. Fosko considers themselves the pride of Palafox, where you can satisfy your cravings.

The former Pure Barre’s space next door to Fosko is now vacant. Pure Barre relocated down the road to offer close public parking and more parking space in general to its customers, which is a major reason why Pure Barre decided to relocate. The owner of Fosko, Kevin Lehman, was hesitant to take over

Pure Barre’s building for that same reason. The restaurant business is a tricky investment and Lehman wanted to be sure expanding would be a smart move in the long run.

Weighing out all of his options, Lehman decided to go with it and put the plans in motion.

Fosko’s expansion started late last year with no deadline.

Due to staying open during the pandemic, Fosko experienced a negative impact on their funds. Therefore, putting the renovation on hold for the time remaining.

Their hopes for the expansion included: another kitchen, lounge seating, and a projector screen. After the renovation, the coffee barre will be able to host football watch parties and movie nights. There’s not a date for the grand opening yet, but you can stay updated by visiting their website and Facebook page.

to notable Pensacola landmarks, including the Graffiti Bridge, the Pensacola Bay Center and Palafox Street. If you enjoy Pensacola cuisine, you’re in luck because the site of the Hawkshaw Property sits just blocks from popular local eateries including McQuire’s Irish Pub, Taste of India and Rodizio Grill. The property sits at the northeast corner of

East Ramona Street and South 9th Avenue. Site work for this project began on Sept. 30, 2019, but it is unclear when the project is set to complete.

For more information about the Hawkshaw Property, please contact Montgomery Realtors at (850)-432-3060 or SMP Architecture at (850)-432-7772.

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 35

WHAT’S NEW IN DEVELOPMENT

Girard Place

302 West Ramona Street New luxury townhomes will soon be coming to West Ramona Street. Bordering historic downtown Pensacola, residents of Girard Place will find themselves immersed in a cultural hub. Just steps away from Palafox Street, you’ll find popular restaurants such as The Tin Cow and Urban Swinery right at your fingertips. The lot sits just three blocks from Blue Wahoos stadium, so you’ll be wanting to catch every game and event. Girard Place also sits adjacent to Ever’man Grocery and Cafe, so there will always be something to eat just steps away from your doorstep. These threestory luxury townhomes showcase beautiful southern brownstone architecture with

a contemporary design on the inside. Girard Place will offer its residents the most up to date features and amenities.

Every home will be equipped with full home automation, letting you control the lights or lock the door from your smartphone or tablet. The complex will also feature an outdoor pool area and walking paths, along with other luxury amenities. Units to be offered include 2,119 square foot three-bedroom homes with a one-car garage and 2,972 square foot premium three-bedroom homes with a two-car garage.

Prices for these townhomes are currently listed at $650,000 and $850,000, respectively. Construction of the first eleven units in phase

one will be completed this September. They are taking contracts for the remaining twelve units for phase two of construction. For more

information on Girard Place, please contact them at (850)-858-0300 or contact@ girardplace.net.

LUXURY DOWNTOWN LIVING STARTING AT $599K 3 & 4 BED RO O M U N ITS AVAIL ABLE NOW

850.377.3145

downtownlivingpensacola.com

Belmont Hall Belmont Hall is calling all aspiring chefs who dream of starting their own restaurant one day. Alistair McKenzie and Jordan Yee are two Pensacola entrepreneurs that wanted to provide an opportunity for chefs in the area who would like 36 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

to start their own restaurants but may not have the means to do so.

The plans for Belmont Hall were approved by the Pensacola Architectural Review Board earlier this year. With the estimated value being between

$1 million to $5 million, Belmont Hall will be providing vendor space and restaurants for 10 chefs in a 29,000 square feet indoor and outdoor food hall. This space is also offering event space and family-friendly entertainment. Belmont Hall will feature an outside yard with a stage on it, which is where live music, dancers, and any other entertainment will perform.

Another concept for this establishment is to also feature local shops and boutiques so that it’s a platform for creative professionals and business of other industries. There’s a couple of spaces that will be used to hold private and art events and pop-up restaurants.

The food hall, event space,

and entertainment complex are planned to open by 2022.

Since their startup began during COVID-19, the owners took social distancing into consideration for their venue.

If we are still social distancing in two years, Belmont Hall’s outside yard provides an extensive space for guests to spread out.

Hearing plans like Belmont Hall instills hope for humanity and faith in dreamers. It’s believing in someone’s dream and giving them a platform to make their dream a reality.

PAY TRIBUTE TO FRIENDS AND LOVED ONES AT THE WALK OF HONOR!

HONOR YOUR LOVED ONES BY PURCHASING A BRICK IN THEIR NAME ON THE WALK OF HONOR Order a customized brick to honor the military service and sacrifice of family and friends. Place a brick in recognition of a unit in which you served.

The bricks in the Walk of Honor pave the walkway to the Wall South, a permanent halfsize replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Give a brick as the perfect gift to pay honor and respect to the legacy of those who have served our nation in the Armed Forces.

Your support of the Walk of Honor will help with the care and preservation of Veterans Memorial Park.

Order your bricks today by visiting VeteransMemorialParkPensacola.org Photo by Wendell Slater

Photos by Allen Jones

VISIT THE BEAUTIFUL PENSACOLA VETERAN’S MEMORIAL PARK!

Open daily 6 am–10 pm 200 S 10th Ave Pensacola, FL

IT’S HERE! We are excited to announce that our Men Who Cook charitable cookbook, presented by The Law Office of J.J. Talbott and Brown Helicopter, Inc.,is now available for PRESALE!

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The perfect gift for friends & family! Order yours today and have it in time for the holidays!

One Cookbook: $40.00

Sweet Deal: Buy 2, Get One 1/2 Off! All proceeds of the cookbook will directly benefit Pace Center for Girls Escambia-Santa Rosa.

Cookbooks will be available for pickup or delivery in late November.

Questions about how to get yours?

Contact Rachel at rachel.mock@pacecenter.org

Pace Center for Girls Escambia/Santa Rosa 1028 Underwood Ave, Pensacola, FL 32504

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Experience VISIT PENSACOLA Pensacola LAUNCHES APP

by Gina Castro

Apps are on the rise. As more apps are created to fulfill consumers’ needs, consumers are spending even more time on apps than ever before. A report from App Annie, a business intelligence company and analyst firm, found that the daily time spent in apps on Android devices has increased by 20 percent this year.

Apps are a great asset for connecting with potential customers and spreading the word about your business. Visit Pensacola recently launched its app: Experience Pensacola. This app can be a resource for local businesses. This app helps connect Pensacola’s visitors and residents to events, restaurants, retail stores and experiences.

“We wanted something that residents could jump on to whether they’re sitting at home wondering where to go eat for the evening, or they’ve got guests coming into town and are looking for the next best thing to do,” Nicole Stacey, Visit Pensacola Marketing and Communications

Director, said. “It’s really a resource for you to find our partner listings, whether it’s restaurants, bars, nightlife, things to do or calendar events.”

The Experience Pensacola app features several categories from fun outdoor beach activities to dining experiences downtown to places you can stay the night at in Pensacola.

The app features a category for travel deals, which lists deals on food, places to stay and activities. Through the app, users can view Visit Pensacola’s complete list of events. Users can also favorite items on the app to easily keep track of what they want to experience in Pensacola.

Businesses can use the app to feature their upcoming events, weekly deals and specials. The app features only businesses that are partners of Visit Pensacola, but anyone can feature their events on the app’s events page. If you are not a partner but still want to feature your business on a Visit Pensacola platform, you can add your business to the Visit Pensacola website.

To enhance user experience and promote businesses, the app offers an interactive aspect: Passports. Users will be challenged to complete a list of activities, like visiting certain businesses or iconic spots, to win prizes.

You can download the Experience Pensacola app on the Apple App Store or on Google Play. To learn more about Visit Pensacola, go to visitpensacola.com. •

“It’s really a cool way for families to get out and enjoy different things to do. There’s an opportunity to win prizes, but there’s also that added benefit of visitors sharing their experiences on social media,” Stacey said. “It’s giving the businesses promotion, which was the whole point of the app to begin with, and it’s telling the story of our destination and what people are doing on all of their social channels.

So it’s more promotion for Pensacola and those individual businesses, which is added value to being a partner with us.” nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 39

WEST MAIN MASTER PLAN ANNOUNCES DEVELOPERS

by Gina Castro

The West Main Master Plan project is a journey that started to take shape 15 years ago when voters approved a referendum to develop the former Trillium property along Pensascola’s waterfront. Since then, the site has seen significant development. This 27.5 acre property, known as Vince J. Whibbs, Sr. Community Maritime Park, features the successful Blue Wahoos Stadium, which was named America’s Best Double-A Ballpark this year, Maritime Place, an amphitheatre, playground and festival grounds.

Even after those developments, there were still nine acres left unused.

In 2015, Studer Properties purchased the 19-acre Main Street site formerly home to an Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) wastewater treatment plant. These large undeveloped parcels of land along Main Street offered endless potential.

Studer Properties had many goals for this land, but among the most important were to connect the downtown core to the waterfront and meet the community’s needs. Studer Properties funded a marketability study and master plan to help them discover the most successful uses for the bayfront property. In 2019, DPZ Design and Speck and Associates developed a master plan for the former ECUA site and the maritime parcels, which included a marketability study by Weitzman Associates. The marketability study included analysis of local demographic and economic trends, interviews with stakeholders and business owners and extensive housing market research. There were more than 400 people involved in the study. This study found that there was an overflowing need for downtown 40 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

housing, positive demographic trends and increased employment growth.

So, the West Main Master Plan was created, and the Pensacola City Council adopted it at the end of 2019. It has been a long time coming for this project, but Studer Properties recently announced its three development teams that will be bringing this vision to fruition. An independent 8-person selection committee reviewed the development proposals and recommended the following three development teams: The Dawson Company & EJ Smith Enterprises, LLC; Edwards Communities Development Company & Silver Hills; and Valencia Hotel Group. All of the selected businesses, aside from The Dawson Company, are based outside of Pensacola, which Studer Properties President, Andrew Rothfeder said is a good thing.

“The goal is to always bring outside capital and outside money into your community for investment. If you don't get that, then any community is just trading its dollars around to each other, and it never grows,” Rothfeder explained. “If outside investors want to put money into real estate or businesses, it is a huge signal of positive growth for any community.”

The Dawson Company & EJ Smith Enterprises, also known as Inspired Communities, have the ECUA parcel and Maritime parcels 3,6,8 and 9. The Dawson Company was the development manager for Southtowne Apartments in downtown Pensacola, which was owned by Studer Properties before it was sold for $60.63 million. The Dawson Company is currently developing Inspire Apartments, a luxury apartment complex, across from Navy Federal Campus on Nine Mile Road. EJ Smith Enterprises is headed by Pensacola native and former NFL running back

Emmitt Smith. One of EJ Smith Enterprises former projects is The Zenith 21-story luxury apartments located in Baltimore, Maryland. Inspired Communities plans to build a mixed-use development that includes a range of residential units, community amenities, retail and entertainment space, a hotel, daycare facilities and ample parking to sustain those entities.

“Emmitt Smith still has deep roots and connections with family and friends here in town,” Rothfeder said. “He is incredibly excited about getting to do a project back in his hometown, and we’re excited to work with him.”

The Edwards Companies and Silver Hills development team has Maritime parcels

Valencia Hotel Group plans to build Isabella Court Hotel, an upscale hotel, on the former ECUA site.

4 and 5. The Edwards Companies is a family-owned corporation that is widely recognized for its creative approach to addressing challenges in real estate development and construction. Edwards Companies has built more than 50,000 residential housing units since 1959. This development team proposed a four to five story mixed-use project consisting of apartments, retail and a shared-use parking garage. Silver Hills has a $1.3 billion commercial real-estate portfolio. Silver Hills has constructed luxury apartments in New Orleans and several major cities in Florida, such as Orlando, Tallahassee and Daytona.

Together Edwards Companies and Silver Hills proposed to build a four to five story mixed-use project consisting of apartments, retail and a shared-use parking garage.

“While Downtown Pensacola has developed into a vibrant community with a multitude of entertainment options and a business hub for the metropolitan area, there is a shortage of high quality apartment rental products in the area. We believe that our project will help to alleviate this need and will allow the downtown area to continue to be built out,” Ryan Solow, Silver Hills

“The goal is to always bring outside capital and outside money into your community for investment. If you don’t get that, then any community is just trading its dollars around to each other, and it never grow.”

President of Development and General Counsel, said. “Our proposed project, Silver Hills at Pensacola, represents the perfect bridge between our New Orleans developments and our Florida communities in Fort Myers, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Daytona. We strive to create unique apartment communities using time-tested product that caters to the different strengths of each local market. In Pensacola, we plan to blend our New Orleans inspired architecture, incorporating brick and stucco

façades to embrace Pensacola’s history, with our Florida waterfront influences that highlight the outdoor lifestyle.”

Based out of Texas, Valencia Hotel Group will be building its first of several hotels in Florida. Valencia plans to build Isabella Court Hotel, an upscale hotel, on the former ECUA site, Maritime parcel 7. The hotel will offer 180 large guest rooms including a luxurious presidential suite, 9,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa, two restaurants, a resort pool and valet parking. One wing of the hotel will have cabana rooms. Valencia Executive Vice President, John Keeling explained that Pensacola is missing a high-end hotel like Isabella Court.

“Pensacola lacks a high-end, full-service hotel. Downtown has been undergoing a renaissance and needs a quality full-service hotel to round out its offerings,” Keeling said. “The Valencia hotel will be the highest quality hotel in either Pensacola or Pensacola Beach. It will attract a more-affluent leisure traveler and provide an impressive location for businesses trying to recruit professionals or relocate to Pensacola.”

The three development teams are in the predevelopment agreement phase with the City. At this point, the developers are having exclusive negotiations with the City, and once they come to an agreement, each developer will come before the city council for approval. Rothfeder estimates that this step will be complete by November. After that step, the developers will begin site control, which is when they meet with architects, engineers and consultants to study the site. Rothfeder explained that this step is the most time consuming.

He estimates that it will be complete by the end of 2021 and construction will begin one to two years later.

Although this project’s completion date is distant, the West Main Master Plan gives Pensacola a great deal to look forward to.

These developments will create more jobs and opportunities for the community.

•

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 41

TIPS FROM 5QUINT STUDER

by Dakota Parks

Many people may know Quint Studer as a business leader, a property developer, a co-owner of the Blue Wahoos, a charitable investor to The Studer Family Children’s Hospital at Sacred Heart, an author and a celebrated public speaker. As the founder of Studer Community Institute, Quint focuses on accelerating small businesses through mentorship programs and business training as well as community focused events like CivicCon and EntreCon. Quint gave an interview to Business Climate to provide advice to business leaders, young professionals and new college graduates, as well as navigating the new normal through COVID-19.

You’ve worn many hats over the years. Do you have any core business philosophies that you have carried through these different career moves?

I think you have to have a sense of purpose, to feel worthwhile and to feel like you’re making a difference. Leadership skills transfer to other jobs: how to hire people, how to onboard people and six sigma process improvement. But I think what all of my jobs have had in common is a sense of purpose.

I haven’t seen any difference between running a baseball team and running a hospital. You have to have great employees, to train your managers and to have great customer service.

Most companies don’t spend much money training their managers, and the smaller you are, the less chance you have of getting trained. That’s why I emphasize training and why Studer Community Institute offers so much business training.

The demographics for downtown business are changing. Do you have any advice for young professionals starting careers downtown?

If they are investing in a business downtown, the key thing is to make sure they have enough

capital to both get the right location and to be able to make it awhile. Location is important but having enough cash to last a while is just as important. People are usually very optimistic on the revenue and understate the expense. Eighty percent of small businesses in America do not make it past one year. So, I think you have to be really careful and make sure you build your skill sets, how to maximize social media, how to make sure you can manage the cost of goods and hire good employees. I also tell people don’t be afraid to be an intrapreneur before an entrepreneur. So, that means be as valuable as you can in the company you’re currently with and build your skill set up, so when you walk out of there, you’re prepared.

On that same note, COVID-19 has seriously impacted the job market for new college graduates. Do you have any advice for those young people embarking their first job hunt or for people starting to look for jobs after a layoff?

Yes, watch their mental health. I think that is a key thing that we miss in this country is the stigma of mental health. First, I think you need to share what you’re

going through. When we share our struggles, the burden gets a little less because we know we aren’t alone. Second, be willing to go to part time. When you’re young, you’re not at your peak earning potential—your job is to build your skill set. So, look at your current skill set and say, “What would I like to be better at?” It’s not about the job title or the dollars. Instead, what are some skills that you need to be working on so that your resume can show what you have learned.

How vital do you think networking is and are there any misconceptions that people have about networking?

Networking is vital to everyone.

I think the key thing to remember is don’t network on what you can get, network on what you can give. A lot of people show up to network because they just want a resume boost or they’re hunting for a job. But the more you put on the table, the more likely you are to take anything off. Sometimes people are too busy with life, getting their first job or tending to their family that they feel like they don’t have time to network.

That’s why CivicCon has gone virtual. Other conferences around the country have gone

virtual and their attendance has actually gone up because it’s cheaper and easier to attend.

Take advantage of that.

A lot of economists are predicting an economic depression from COVID-19 that could last several years. Is there any advice you can give to businesses to prepare for that or to navigate the new normal?

I think you have to do a good audit. Do I have the right product? Do I have the right price? What changes do I need to make? I’m not as pessimistic as some economists; because I think people certainly want to come back to support the economic growth. Some businesses might not come back because people have found new avenues to get products. If you’re a clothing store with no online presence and people have suddenly grown accustomed to shopping online for clothing, you have to figure out how to get your customers back.

Another thing is experience.

If you are a transactional business, find out how you can improve the experience.

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 43

Pensacola Grapples with Housing Affordability Crisis by Dakota Parks Stagnating wages, increasing rent and homeownership costs, rising construction costs, restrictive zoning and building codes and NIMBYism— all of these issues are in flux with America’s affordable housing crisis.

Since 1960, the median income in America has increased by a mere five percent while the median rental cost has increased by 61 percent and the median cost of a home has increased by 114 percent, according to the National Low Income Housing Coalition.

On the local level, The Florida Housing Coalition painted a grim picture at an Affordable Housing Task Force meeting in June 2020 when they shared that only one of Pensacola’s top 10 jobs can support a two-bed apartment without being costburdened. Cost-burdened is paying more than 30 percent of their income on mortgage or rent, utilities, insurance and taxes. The Affordable Housing Task Force partnered with the Florida Housing Coalition to create a report that outlines recommendations for the city to reach its goal of creating 500 Homes in Five Years, a directive led by City Council President Jewel Cannada-Wynn.

“I became passionate about housing from my background as an educator. Teachers would constantly tell me they can’t afford housing in the city limits,” Councilwoman CannadaWynn explained. “Housing prices were going up by private developers that were way outside of the financial needs of most of the people that I know. Many developers are also putting these homes in poor areas; therefore, those opportunities for housing evaporate.”

The task force concluded its meetings in September 2020 by sending its report, which outlines six strategies and 24 action 44 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

steps for creating affordable housing, to the city council to vote on and initiate the next steps of funding, land use, partnerships and establishing a new city staff position dedicated to following through with the report. Though the task force is bound to the jurisdictions of the city limits, including downtown, Escambia County is also working closely to address affordable housing.

Part of addressing that need, as Whittaker explained, is educating the community on what affordable housing actually means to curb the “not in my back yard” (referred to as NIMBYism) responses. “When people think of affordable housing, they think the worst. They picture a high-rise tower or bars on the window dropped in the middle of a neighborhood,” Whittaker said.

The six strategies in the report include the following: engaging in strategic partnerships, collaborating with the private sector to identify incentives for the creation of affordable housing, leveraging existing city property to create affordable housing, supporting tax credit developments, identifying sites for suitable infill development and identifying adaptive reuse possibilities.

In the Pensacola area, the average median income is $48,686. The average renter in the area is earning 66 percent of the area median income at just $32,004, while the average homeowner earns $65,329. When the median cost of a house currently sits around $200,000, low-income families would fall into the range of housing at $125,000 to $130,000. Whittaker explained these income brackets at the annual housing summit hosted by the Pensacola Habitat for Humanity.

“The task force has come up with some really actionable strategies to implement and I think that’s going to make a difference. We need to be looking at the entire spectrum of need in our community from that entrylevel person just moving out of their parent’s home into an apartment to the person that’s trying to become a homeowner,” Marcie Whitaker, housing director for Pensacola said.

Whittaker and Councilwoman CannadaWynn were both strong advocates of rehabilitating homes to keep neighborhoods intact, while allowing homeowners to stay in their communities and build their wealth. Whittaker also stressed the importance of engaging strategic partners such as Pensacola Habitat in these efforts.

The houses will be developed using HUD Home Investment Partnership Program funds and will provide down payment and closing cost assistance up to $40,000 to people making 80 percent of the area median income. Many members of the task force also showed support to this initiative as well as partnering with Escambia County on making affordable housing a reality.

“Sometimes all a neighborhood needs is some TLC. Our owner-occupied repair program helps keep people in their homes” Crystal Scott director of resource development for Pensacola Habitat explained. “We have people that come to us with a leaking roof or someone trying to come home from the hospital but suddenly they need a wheelchair ramp to live in their home.

We recognize the need for a neighborhood revitalization program in our community and we hope to expand our reach.”

Pensacola Habitat hosts the summit each year to continue to advocate for affordable housing and bring local organizations and stakeholders together to discuss how to accomplish it. Pensacola Habitat just celebrated the construction of its 1,400th home since its establishment in 1981 and currently services around 940 affordable mortgages which pool back into the Fund For Humanity to build more housing.

A keynote speaker for this year’s summit, Chuck Marohn, founder of the nonprofit Strong Towns explained how neighborhoods can get stuck in cycles of simultaneous decline. When 100 homes are built in a neighborhood at once, 30 years later all of the homes and infrastructure go bad at the same time—causing affluent homeowners to move into newly developed neighborhoods, he explained. His presentation illustrated that housing initiatives often try to deliver affordable housing at mass and scale, which results in radically altering neighborhoods.

“Housing is a complex adaptive system,” Marohn said. “In a complex adaptive system there aren’t really problems or solutions because nothing is ever solved, but there is ongoing evolution and change. What we really want to happen is for our housing markets to respond to the people that are there. If people are making less money, housing prices go down. If they make more money, prices go up. If there’s not enough single-family housing, build more.”

The demand for a variety of housing options to be built was made evident through the task force report. The housing options discussed included both rental and homeownership, single-family detached homes, apartment complexes, townhomes and condos, residential rental properties and even tiny homes. There was lively discussion about leveraging existing city property such as parks to cut the cost of construction with

City Council President Jewel Cannada-Wynn speaking at the launch of the Escambia County workforce housing initiative led by Commissioner Lumon May.

existing land, which Mayor Grover Robinson expressed opposition to, explaining that public parks contribute to community equity.

“We have seen pressures on traditional affordable housing in certain areas of Pensacola because of the success and desirability we have created in Downtown Pensacola,” Mayor Robinson explained in an interview. “We’re glad that we have increased desirability, and we have more people wanting to come here, but the problem is we are pricing out individuals.

We need to make sure that Pensacola can compete moving forward with the needs of the community and ensure there is housing available at all levels of affordability.”

Mayor Robinson did express support to using other existing city property, as well as adaptive reuse property such as empty warehouses, abandoned churches and derelict retail facilities. Several members of the task force were enthusiastic about supporting tax credit developments such as Vista 17 and Englewood Senior Apartments on Cervantes Street and urged for nonprofit partnerships.

The strategy to identify suitable infill development is also being utilized by Escambia County. Commissioner Lumon May announced his workforce housing initiative in June 2020 to build four homes near G Street and West Gonzalez Street.

Despite the task force report being written on the foundations of equity, accessibility and affordability, task force members such as Douglas Brown speculated in the last meeting whether the report does enough to address racial disparities in housing.

Currently, 71.9 percent of white Americans are homeowners while only 41.8 percent of black Americans own their homes. According to the Urban Institute, that 30.1 percentage gap is now wider than it was when racebased discrimination against homebuyers was legal. Ensuring that affordable housing initiatives address inequality is paramount to shrinking the racial homeownership gap.

Moving forward with the goal of 500 Homes in Five Years, Mayor Robinson’s office has already proposed a new full-time city staff position in the housing department to ensure that the task force report and recommendations to the city are followed through and not left collecting dust on a shelf. The new staff position will be funded through general fund dollars and the Community Redevelopment Agency.

As Pensacola grapples with COVID-19 economic instability and the wake of Hurricane Sally, the efforts to create and sustain affordable housing could not come at a more urgent time. In June 2020, the Department of Labor reported that more than 34 million people were receiving or had applied for unemployment insurance, and more than half of all low-income households in America experienced job or income loss because of the pandemic. Mass evictions and foreclosures are already happening across the states as temporary state-sanctioned rent and mortgage moratoriums are lifted.

Affordable housing is not just another metaphysical debated government issue—it affects future generations, families and the very fabric of our society and community. •

nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 45

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LONG ROAD AH E AD F O R PE N SACO L A BAY B R I DG E R E PA I R

BY G I N A C A S T R O • P H OTO S BY G U Y S T E V E N S

Two barges, beached end-to-end, on Bayfront Parkway in Downtown Pensacola.

For several hurricane seasons, Pensacola managed to remain unscathed. However, on Sept. 16, Pensacola was devastated by Hurricane Sally. The slow moving storm tore through Pensacola causing damage reminiscent of Hurricane Ivan, which hit Pensacola that same day in 2004. Sally caused millions of dollars worth of damage and severed the bridge connecting Pensacola to Gulf Breeze. Now that Pensacola has had some time to recover, there is one persistent problem preventing locals from transitioning back to normalcy: the bridge.

appropriate parties will be held responsible for the repairs,” Ian Satter, FDOT Public Information Director, said. “The recommended repairs to the damaged areas of the Pensacola Bay Bridge will take approximately six months to complete, weather permitting. Once repairs are complete, all four lanes will be open with no load restrictions and at the same condition as expected for new construction.”

The category 2 hurricane caused enormous barges to slam into the Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. Bridge. The storm took a massive chunk out of the bridge and weakened its foundation, which has made the bridge unusable. Many are putting the blame on Skanska USA, which is the construction company for the bridge and owner of the barges. A total of 22 Skanska barges wreaked havoc on Pensacola and surrounding areas. The barges damaged homes, docks, other nearby bridges and even an oyster farm.

Memorial Bridge (Pensacola Bay Bridge) in 2016. Although this $427 million project was anticipated to be complete by fall 2021, the Gen. James Bridge was fully accessible and relied on by the public. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) estimates that 57,000 vehicles crossed the bridge each day.

FDOT said that appropriate parties will be held responsible for the damages and estimated that the bridge will be repaired by March 2021.

Now thousands of vehicles are relying on alternative, lengthier routes to get to and from home and work. The only alternative routes available are Garcon Point Bridge and Highway 87 to I-10.

The Garcon Point Bridge is the more time efficient route, but it charges a five dollar toll each way. Highway 87 is free, but it adds an hour or more detour, which racks up gas cost, too. Gov. Ron DeSantis waved the Garcon Point Bridge toll; however, Satter said that the toll suspension ends at 6 am on Oct. 23.

Skanska USA was awarded the contract to replace the aging Sen. Philip D. Beall Sr.

“Once the situation is fully assessed and damages are fully understood,

The City of Pensacola and FDOT are working together to create additional nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 47

LO N G ROA D A H E A D alternatives including using a ferry to shuttle people to and from Pensacola and Gulf Breeze. At this time, there isn’t a timeline for when this ferry service would begin, if the City and FDOT determine it as an option.

controlled jackhammers on portions of the structure to avoid putting themselves in danger. Skanska ordered three cranes to replace existing cranes that were either damaged or lost during the storm.

FDOT announced in a press release on Oct. 6 that they are making progress on fixing the bridge. FDOT has completed the survey of the piers and topside inspections along with most of the underwater footing. A total of five spans will need to be replaced and two require partial replacement.

At least 12 pedestrian spans need to be replaced. The number of beams that need to be replaced haven’t been specified.

To help expedite the demolition process, two additional subcontractors are on site, which added 40 personnel to the crew. A dive team of eight people are also assisting with the final inspections.

FDOT explained that demolition is focused on three of the spans to remove damaged portions while also preventing any further damage to the structure.

The demolition crew is utilizing remote

Once repairs are complete, FDOT stated that all four lanes will be open with no load restrictions. As each repair method is developed, FDOT will be conducting reviews to ensure the contractor is hitting all milestones in the established schedule.

As for the barges spread across the city, FDOT and Skanska are working together to remove them. Three of Skanska’s barges

remain on or under the bridge and the removal of those barges will have to be done with great caution. So far, 12 barges have been removed from the area with two most recently recovered from near Scenic Highway and the Garcon Point Bridge.

“The contractor has prioritized the removal of the barges and will work closely with FDOT to ensure the least amount of additional damage possible to the bridge in this effort,” FDOT’s Oct. 6 press release states.

Lastly, FDOT confirmed that Skanska has dispatched a community outreach team and insurance claim specialists to assist impacted property owners. If your property was impacted by Skanska’s barges or other equipment during Hurricane Sally, contact them at pensacola@skanska.com.

•

Skansa workers remove hydralic fluid from damaged equipment to keep the beached barge from leaching pollutants into the water.

48 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

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Pensacola Sports Come Back

SWINGING

Local Sports Grapple with COVID-19 Pensacola is a sports town. Home to a bevy of professional athletes, such as Emmitt Smith, Roy Jones Jr., Michelle Snow, and Justin Gaitlin, this city is an impressive wellspring of endless athletic talent. And it’s not just the athletes. We are a community that thrives on sports. We swell with pride over our beloved Wahoos, Ice Flyers, and Argonauts. People travel across state lines for championship games and pack into stadiums just for the thrill of cheering our teams on.

Sports have an extended reach beyond the pitch, court or field, too. They have the power to bring people together, to entertain and even to drive the economy.

But what happens to sports when the world hits pause? What happens when we are in the grips of a global pandemic?

by Heidi Travis

Around the world, sports—like everything else—have taken a hit.

The summer Olympics have been postponed until the summer of 2021, college sports are on hiatus, and the events that are taking place are playing to stadiums that are empty or at drastically reduced capacity. It’s eerie, and it’s global.

The effects of this massive widescale freeze on sports has not spared our city. With more than 11,000 cases and 200 deaths in Escambia county alone, our own sports communities have had to make some very tough choices in light of the COVID-19 crisis. The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, Pensacola Ice Flyers, and University of West Florida Argonauts have all cancelled or postponed their seasons in the interest of public health and safety.

“We really went from the season being postponed to a later start date to then being cancelled,” The Argonauts Head Coach, Peter Shinnick, said. “It wasn’t what was

taking place in the panhandle so much as what the governing body of the NCAA decided nationally.

The Big 10 is not playing, the Pack 12 is not playing. You have only a handful of Division one that is playing at this time. Basically, the NCAA’s guidelines and procedures that the universities would have to follow became very difficult to do.”

The story is very much the same with the Wahoos.

“The decision to postpone and subsequently cancel the Minor League season was made by Major League Baseball, and with good reason. The logistics of Minor League baseball made it very unlikely games could be held safely this year, “ Wahoos Media and Public Relations Manager, Daniel Venn said. “The vast majority of revenue for Minor League teams comes from having fans in the stands and holding a season without fans would not have been viable for most teams at our level.”

Even so, this doesn’t mean that the teams are inactive. Work must go on. It’s only a question of how. It seems both the Argonauts and the Wahoos have found ways to push forward in this uncertain time.

Coach Shinnick laid out his plan.

“We’ll get a portion of the team into the weight room and start weight room conditioning. The week after that, we’ll get the entire team in there so we’re progressing to that,” Shinnick said. “At some point in the semester, we hope to be able to get in some practices, but there are some guidelines and procedures that are going to have to be worked out as soon as possible.”

UWF’s policies regarding participation in any sporting events or activities are rigorously enforced. Every athlete must be tested for COVID-19 before they can participate. They must also fill out a daily screening and are subjected to temperature checks as

well. Similar guidelines are in effect for administrators and coaches.

“Every decision that the University of West Florida has made has always been about how we can do what we want to do with the player’s safety first and foremost,” Shinnick said.

The hope is that collegiate football will spring back into action in the Spring of 2021, so all work and training is with that goal in mind.

The Wahoos have found another way to stay busy and connected to the community.

“Our ownership made some really bold decisions early in the pandemic. It would have made perfect business sense to reduce our staff and close doors until the 2021 baseball season,” Venn said.

“Instead, Quint and Rishy Studer, the team’s owners, committed to keeping all the Blue Wahoos staff employed for the full season, no layoffs. While it significantly nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 51

Pensacola Sports Come Back Swinging

increased financial losses this year, it allowed the team to hold all of the community events that we have, which makes our community better, while helping provide for the families of numerous staff members and allowing each of us to learn a ton about holding successful events that we can apply to making Blue Wahoos games and events even better in the future.”

Events like movie nights, stadium golf, BINGO, trivia competitions, fan batting practice, disc golf, and even high school graduations are all integral for staying connected with the fans and staving off the economic trauma of the pandemic.

“Blue Wahoos Stadium being built in downtown Pensacola in 2012 was a real catalyst for the revitalization of the city’s downtown. It helped create jobs, increase property values, and bring hundreds of thousands of customers downtown throughout the year, and that has a big impact on the local economy,” Venn said.

“Obviously, it’s been a difficult and frustrating year for everyone. We miss baseball. We miss normalcy.

But it’s been very rewarding to be a part of an organization that so creatively pivoted to continue to meet our mission of improving quality of life in our community.”

According to Venn, the community support has been tremendous.

Over 90 percent of their Season Ticket members and sponsors have simply rolled over their tickets

“

and sponsorship to next season.

That support has made the events they have been hosting possible.

unwavering support of the Ice Flyer Nation is something Harris said he is very grateful for.

All events at the Wahoos Stadium are organized with safety chiefly in mind. Masks and physical distancing are required at all events. Additionally, sanitizing stations are provided throughout the stadium. Staff members have daily temperature checks and are given remote options for work.

Group tickets, however, will certainly suffer for it. The logistics of safely accommodating groups of 30 to 50 people is not viable in this climate. Smaller groups, however, of about 6 to 10 are much more feasible.

“Safety always comes first. If we don’t feel we can safely hold an event at the ballpark, we don’t hold it,” Venn said.

Similarly, the Ice Flyers and the Pensacola Bay Center have had to shift gears to accommodate the new normal. The start of their season will be pushed back to December this year.

“This upcoming season will be a season like no one has seen before.

So much has changed since we last hosted a game at the Bay Center on March 8th,” Ice Flyers owner, Greg Harris said. “We’ve had to adapt our strategies for each game night, not just for the organization but for our fans.

We are all working on plans to host games in a safe environment for families and friends to feel confident coming to watch.”

Fortunately, that hasn’t put a damper on the support fans offer them. Ticket sales are on par with last season’s sales and the

Harris assures that when the Bay Center opens its doors to the fans, all the proper safety protocols will be firmly in place. Cyndee Pennington, General Manager for ASM Global, the company that manages the Pensacola Bay Center, echoed his statements.

“ASM Global has taken this very seriously. The company has partnered with experts, health officials and industry leaders in environmental hygiene, sanitization and fulfillment of a new program we are implementing called VenueShield,” Pennington said.

“To provide venues with the best, most advanced hygienic safeguards and operating procedures in the COVID-19 environment, ASM Global launched VenueShield for their 325 managed venues to use. These safeguards and procedures have been taken and customized to be applied to the Pensacola Bay Center to inspire confidence and trust in the employees. Tenants, and to the guests that use this venue.”

Safety always comes first. If we don’t feel we can safely hold an event at the ballpark, we don’t hold it.”

52 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

VenueShield includes six key pillars: Environmental hygiene, Customer Journey, Food & Beverage Service, Workforce Safety, Public Awareness and Technology and Equipment.

Additionally, the Bay Center will follow local ordinances regarding face masks and plan for social distancing at 50 percent capacity, selling tickets accordingly.

Furthermore, hand sanitizing stations are located throughout the venue and additional social distancing measures will be practiced at concessions stands.

Meanwhile, the Bay Center is still planning to host the Sun Belt Conference in March 2021.

The Sun Belt Conference is a collegiate athletic conference of 12 institutions located in the southern United States. ASM is working closely and taking proactive steps with event organizers to ensure the success of this conference.

“Since March 2020, the Sun Belt Conference has been working with our medical advisors to develop protocols to ensure that our contests are safe for all involved,” Sun Belt Conference Commissioner, Keith Gill said.

“We continue to monitor the situation by reviewing public health data, campus health data, regular testing and reviewing other information to understand how our mitigation efforts are working.

Health and safety are our most important responsibility,

and we must always defer to actions that ensure our students, staff and public well-being. We must adjust our sports and operations because of the virus.”

is nothing more important than the public health of our communities, but sports are critical because they can rebuild the connections that COVID-19 has frayed.”

Gill said that the decision to bring the conference to Pensacola was for multiple reasons. For one thing, Pensacola is centrally located to the Sun Belt Conference members. Geographically, it was a practical choice. But Pensacola also happens to be a popular travel destination and a city that is known for its beaches and sports.

And this is a sentiment echoed throughout the sports community: Sports can heal communities in this time of so much strife.

“For communities, sports offer an opportunity to unite, celebrate the platform of sport, and cheer on our teams, “ Gill said. “Sports also offer an opportunity for engagement – especially important now because COVID-19 is so adept at keeping us apart. There

“Why so many people want sports to come back and why so many people view sports is because it does get us back to somewhat of a normalcy to life. No matter who you are, what color you are, what party you are— your team is your team, and your team is going to have people from everywhere,” Shinnick said. “All backgrounds, all parties, all colors, and that’s the beauty of your team.

We can be excited about that. While our country is

going through a tremendous amount, sports can be a rallying opportunity for them.”

Still, for those who prefer to view from the comfort of their own home, there are some virtual options. Fans can subscribe through the Ice Flyer’s website and watch all the games online through any device. Additionally, all games are broadcast locally on BLAB TV. The Wahoos games are also broadcast on BLAB TV, Cox Sports Net and streamed live in HD on MiLB TV. The Sun Belt Conference will be broadcast on a linear or digital ESPN channel.

So, rest assured, sports in Pensacola may have taken a hit over the course of this pandemic, but they are coming back and when they do, they’ll come back swinging! 

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PENSACOLA DOUBLES DOWN ON

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

by Gina Castro Photos by Pelican Drones Climate change is no longer in the distant future—at least not for Florida. Climate change is occurring now. In areas of Miami-Dade County, the groundwater levels are too close to rising sea levels, so saltwater is mixing with drinking water and compromising sewage plants. The sea level surrounding Florida is eight inches higher than it was in 1950 and is rising

Pensacola is no stranger to climate change.

Climate change can cause more frequent intense storms and extreme flooding, which then increases the amount of stormwater runoff. This increase in stormwater can lead to greater runoff of contaminants such as trash, nutrients, sediment or bacteria into local waterways. Fortunately, Pensacola has experience handling this issue.

The Government Street Regional Stormwater Pond at Corinne Jones Park previously discharged untreated stormwater directly into Pensacola Bay— polluting it. This 2.75 acre pond was redesigned to capture and treat runoff from approximately 40 acres in downtown Pensacola. The City implemented a three-tiered advanced treatment system in the pond to filtrate contaminants from the stormwater. By improving the water quality of the stormwater pond, the long-term sustainability of the coastal wetland and Pensacola Bay were improved. The pond also serves as a habitat for a variety of species.

In December 2014, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) awarded more than $11 million from its Gulf Environment Benefit Fund to fund a series

one inch every three years. By 2040, sea levels in different areas along the coast are predicted to rise eight to 12 inches above current levels, higher temperatures are projected to lead to an increased risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease and hurricanes will become more severe.

of six stormwater treatment and stream restoration projects designed to aid in the restoration of Bayou Chico. They were able to complete the Bill Gregory Park Regional Stormwater Treatment Facility in 2018. That pond filtrates 37 acres of stormwater before the water reaches Bayou Chico. It too has become a habitat for a variety of plants and aquatic animal species as well as benefitted the state of Bayou Chico. Unfortunately, more stormwater projects need to be done.

Flooding from rain storms isn’t Pensacola’s only issue relating to climate change. The city council established the Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Task Force to address more issues. The task force is led by Elaine Sargent the director of 350 Pensacola, a movement dedicated to addressing the climate crisis, and Laurie Murphy the President of the National NPDES Solutions, which works to eliminate illicit discharges from bodies of water. This task force created a general outline of underlying climate change threats the City needs to address. One of the task force’s concerns was sea level rise, which the City was able to address recently.

According to the City, downtown and areas southwest of Bayou Grande are among

the locations most vulnerable to changes in flooding due to increasing sea levels.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) awarded the City with a $75,000 grant to use toward the City’s Resilient Coastlines Program. This program helps Florida’s coastal communities dealing with flooding, erosion and habitat shifts due to sea levels rising. DEP gave a subtotal of $2,164,100 to more than 30 cities in Florida.

“I am incredibly proud of city staff for pursuing and receiving this state grant for such an important project,” Mayor Grover Robinson said. “The Resilient Coastlines Program will not only benefit the City of Pensacola, but the surrounding environment that extends beyond city limits. I’d like to thank the Florida Department of Environmental Protection for selecting Pensacola as a grant recipient, which will provide us additional opportunities to work toward protecting our coastlines for future generations.”

The Resilient Coastlines Program grant was applied for by City of Pensacola Assistant Planning Director Cynthia Cannon and City Administrator Keith Wilkins. Wilkins explained that the nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 55

PENSACOLA DOUBLES DOWN ON

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION program’s vulnerability assessment will help the City locate areas susceptible to sea level rise and identify corrective actions.

This assessment will help them prepare to implement solutions to vulnerable areas.

“This program is the planning stage. This sets the groundwork for that next stage of the actual physical improvement to the built environment,” Cannon said. “It will make Pensacola very competitive to seek grant funds now that we’ll have this heavy data behind us to go seek additional funding for these future improvements to facilities and infrastructure in our area.”

Cannon explained that the vulnerability assessment will enable the City to develop the language to comply with the statutory requirements related to the 2015 Peril of Flood Act, which was passed by the Florida Legislature. This act requires coastal communities to have a coastal management element as part of their comprehensive plan. At this time, the City

56 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

of Pensacola doesn’t have that component.

Another component of this grant application is that it’s tied to the city’s community rating system. The National Flood Insurance Program Community Rating System provides a voluntary incentive program that recognizes and encourages community floodplain management activities. Flood insurance rates are discounted to reflect the reduced flood risk resulting from the community actions.

“Some of the policies that we’ll see coming down the line will allow the city to improve their current community rating system rating, which is a seven right now, which allows for a 15 percent discount on flood insurance for property owners who are in the special flood hazard area,” Cannon explained. “So as we increase that rate, we will increase the discounts for flood property insurance. That’s definitely a direct benefit to the community in terms of financial gain.”

The city is still in the phase of executing contracts with the state, but they hope to

officially begin the program in October.

This project is estimated to be complete in June 2021. Cannon and Wilkins plan to work with UWF to make an interactive, easy to read story map of their findings from the program.

“We don’t plan on producing this big written report that just sits on a shelf or that’s kind of intimidating for the public to read. Through the story map, you can go in, zoom in to your neighborhood and you can find news, information on sea level rise and on flood insurance as it relates directly to you,” Cannon said. “We want to educate the community and keep them engaged because climate change can be a complex and controversial topic.”

The City of Pensacola will provide updates to the public as the Resilient Coastlines Program moves forward.

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EPISCOPAL DAY SCHOOL ROOTED HERE IN DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA

by Alyssa Tucker, Director of Development for Episcopal Day School of Christ Church Parish

F

rom its prime location front and center on the boulevard-like blocks of North Palafox, Episcopal Day School staff and families join in as Pensacola continues its 21st century Renaissance in the heart of downtown.

Like a fountain of youth, Episcopal Day School of Christ Church Parish has produced thousands of graduates in its sixty-eight years, sending young people out into downtown Pensacola and far beyond, educated in excellence and nurtured in the Episcopal tradition.

It’s easy to see Christ Church’s iconic dome and the two-story school across the street as part of the proverbial background for downtown events like the annual Galvez Day reenactment or the weekly Palafox Market. Just up the hill on the 600 block, the Episcopal Day School Hilton-Green Campus fills the North Hill neighborhood with playground squeals and bubbles with life from its youngest students who start at the school at age two.

Updated spaces include “Shelley’s Space,” an outdoor classroom nestled in

the middle of the city block, complete with a classic Pensacola live oak offering shade to the flexible seating, WI-FI, and one of the largest murals in town, by local muralist Cindy Mathis. Our newest addition of a soccer field fronting Palafox gives students the opportunity to play as hard as they work, to the envy of business people passing by.

EDS enriches downtown Pensacola daily life year round in a way that only a school can.



nwflbusinessclimate.com | Business Climate | 59

EPISCOPAL DAY SCHOOL

“Downtown is Our Classroom” In all grade levels, teachers utilize their proximity to city features like parks and historic markers, as well as museums, restaurants and other businesses. Walking field trips are easy to plan and schedule, even with short notice, like last year’s Tall Ships Festival or naturalization ceremonies at City Hall. Connections to people downtown range from guest speakers on campus, to outings a mile or more beyond the campus footprint as we interact with community partners or take advantage of public spaces. For the daily visitors or employees downtown, it’s hard not to smile at a class of plaid-clad uniformed children walking down urban sidewalks to or from a field trip.

In recent years, EDS expanded its footprint downtown to include the 601 Palafox block as its feeder campus, bringing the property holdings of the Christ Church to include parcels on four separate city blocks. Boasting a staff of 65 employees, the school is a significant contributor to downtown employment. With a student body around 380 energetic students and year round programming available for families, EDS brings an enviable vibrancy to our spaces.

60 | Business Climate | 2020 / 2021 Downtown Issue

Growing Community Connections • Growing community connections begins in lower school and continues through middle school.

• Throughout the year students of all ages visit between the two campuses for lessons, annual activities, and a lot of fun!

• Thanksgiving sees the arrival of the “Mayflower” when Coastal Moving and Storage parks a semi to collect food donations for Manna Food • Middle schoolers worked with Jon Shell in the early stages of designing the Upward Intuition Skate Park plans and fundraising.

• Preschoolers enjoy visits from officers of Pensacola’s Police and Fire Department.

• Fifth grade coordinated a cycling field trip, escorted by Pensacola Police Department, to explore rainwater runoff impact as well as hear about the SCAPE plan for Pensacola’s waterfront.

• Kindergarten classes heard from chefs at the District about food preparation.

• Multiple grade levels enjoy access to Historic Pensacola and University of West Florida facilities and services, highlighting Pensacola as America’s first settlement.

• Students across grade levels participate in community events such as FooFoo Fest and the Christmas Parade.

• The school robotics team, the Robojags, enjoys inspiration from the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition.

• Pensacola Little Theatre’s annual offerings often provide an opportunity to take in a school-day show.

• Students benefit from a connection with Welsey Haven and participate in Christmas caroling and visits around Grandparents’ Day.

An Oasis of Youth Perhaps the school aspect that is the most visible to folks downtown are the crosswalks. On any given day, students in second through eighth grades move between three different property blocks-- the school building, church, and playground one block west. Friendly smiles and waves from drivers remind students of their connection to our vibrant city. A kind stranger tossing a ball back over the fence, or a hat tip and nod from a passerby reminds children that they are part of a community and that their place in our world will connect them to people beyond the four walls of a classroom.

Episcopal Day School administrators and staff know that students who feel connected to the material they are learning and how it relates to the world remain engaged in their educational experience. Through meaningful connections to downtown people and businesses, our students see first hand the opportunities that await them.

Episcopal Day School is rooted in Pensacola and growing our connections to the people and businesses of downtown.

If your business would like to pursue a partnership with Episcopal Day School, adding to the wealth of community resources we share with our students, please call Alyssa Tucker, Director of Development at 850-434-6474 or visit www.edscc.org.

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We are pleased to announce ANNA BARBEE CAUSEY has completed all requirements and testing to achieve the SHRM-SCP designation.

Through this process, she was able to demonstrate a Senior Level of HR competency, placing her in an elite status among HR Professionals. The SHRM-SCP is one of the most widely recognized achievements in the HR community and enables her to add value to the firm and their clients. Anna has been in the employee benefits business for over 25 years and holds multiple professional designations as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from UWF. Go Argos!!

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WE HAVE BUYERS WE NEED LISTINGS

7352 SPINNAKER CT • MLS# 573232 $1,450,000 • Debbie Walden 850-206-7400 Gorgeous, fully furnished, waterfront home on Navarre Beach in the gated community of Sailmaker Cove. Enjoy as your dream home or gross upwards of $100,000 annually as a short term rental with 5 bedrooms & 4 baths.

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Our average days on market for properties listed & sold in 2020 = 4. If you're looking to sell & want personal attention from a dedicated independent firm, call any member of the Island Realty Team today!

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1009 Ariola Dr, Pensacola Beach MLS# 566635 • $575,000 Charlie Rotenberry | 850-525-9212 charote@mchsi.com

One of the last Premier Gulf View lots on Pensacola Beach, this 100'x 140' is big enough to build a 10 bedroom home and a huge, gorgeous pool. Your Gulf view will largely remain unobstructed due to designated easements. No restrictions on short-term rentals could bring a 6-figure income.

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