THE FUTURE OF LOCAL URBAN PLANNING Community Redevelopment Agencies Haves & Have Nots
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winners & losers
winners losers
WARRINGTON PREPARATORY ACADEMY
The charter middle school earned a "C" grade for the first time in 14 years after successfully appealing the Florida Department of Education's initial "D" rating. The school's appeal revealed that 48 students were miscounted in state test scores, and one student's civics exam results were omitted. The former Warrington Middle School, which had been considered failing for over a decade, was transferred to Charter Schools USA two years ago. The improved grade prevents potential closure and positions the school for expansion. Warrington Prep recently became the first Escambia County school approved for the Cambridge Program, offering college credits to qualified students.
PAULA HAMMOND Escambia County celebrated West Florida Public Libraries STEAM Instructor Paula Hammond as September 2025 Employee of the Month during the Sept. 4 Board of County Commissioners meeting. Hammond began her career with West Florida Public Libraries in 2013 as a part-time employee at Century Library. She has since served in multiple roles, including acting branch manager for eighteen months, consistently demonstrating a positive attitude and willingness to help. As a STEAM instructor, Hammond provides science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics programming at Century and Molino libraries. Her popular tie-dye program attracts dozens monthly. Hammond also manages outreach at Century Center for Rehabilitation & Healing, offering crafts designed for elderly adults.
SCOTTISH RITE FOUNDATION OF FLORIDA, U.S.A.
The foundation made a $47,440 donation to the Baptist Health Care Foundation, in addition to the Scottish Rite Foundation's established annual $15,000 gift supporting speech and hearing services for uninsured children throughout the greater Pensacola area. The Scottish Rite Foundation has maintained its partnership with Baptist Health Care Foundation for 27 years, contributing $950,000 in lifetime giving. Baptist Health Care stands as one of 15 hospital systems across Florida that receive annual funding from the Scottish Rite Foundation. These funds ensure that uninsured children receive speech therapy and hearing services regardless of their families' financial circumstances, removing barriers to essential healthcare.
ANASTASIOS KAMOUTSAS The late Charlie Kirk avidly supported free speech on college campuses. On the University of West Florida campus, there are yard signs declaring, "Free speech includes offensive speech." However, the Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas has threatened to investigate any Florida educator who engaged in what he described as "vile, sanctionable behavior" on social media, citing that Florida law allows him to discipline or revoke teaching certificates for unprofessional conduct. He argued that educators' public personal views may undermine trust with the students and families they serve. The murder of Kirk was a regrettable act, but to sanction educators for expressing their personal opinions is political grandstanding by Kamoutsas and, ironically, an affront to the freedom Kirk supported.
VOTING REGISTRATION TRAP
Escambia County Supervisor of Elections Robert Bender warns that if you have renewed or replaced your state-issued Florida driver's license or ID card as of July 31, 2024, you must update your voter registration to avoid issues. Beginning on July 31, 2024, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles began implementing legislation that requires the distinguishing numbers assigned to a driver's license or ID card to include at least four randomly generated numbers. The change was done "to improve security and safeguard individuals' identities." The new driver's license number isn't automatically forwarded to the Supervisor of Elections. When voters go online to apply for a vote-by-mail ballot, they could encounter error messages if their driver's license information is out of sync with the information they supplied when registering to vote. You can update your voter registration online at registertovoteflorida.gov. You don't want your vote contested or considered provisional during the 2026 election cycle.
ALLIGATOR ALCATRAZ CONUNDRUM Gov. Ron DeSantis' court victory on "Alligator Alcatraz" sets up a funding dilemma for Florida after an appellate court temporarily blocked shutdown orders. The state must choose between forgoing federal reimbursement for the hundreds of millions spent on the Everglades detention facility, or accepting federal money and potentially triggering environmental reviews that could halt operations.
Anastasios Kamoutsas / Photo Courtesy of FDOE
outtakes
By Rick Outzen
PENSACOLA NOIR
The University of West Florida's College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities recently announced the theme for this year's Gulf Coast Culture Series: Pensacola Noir.
"There is a deep history in literature, film and art of the Southern United States as a site of mystery, the gothic and crime," said Dr. David M. Earle, professor and dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities. "Florida is no exception, and this series will rely upon our local history and talent to explore such noir-ish dynamics."
The series kicked off with three authors and their fictional protagonists: trial attorney Mike Papantonio with Nicholas "Deke" Deketomis; retired jeweler and expert fisherman Corbett Davis Jr. with Powell Taylor; and me with Walker Holmes.
centered around horse racing. Halley is the only character that appears in six of their novels.
Halley was a champion jockey whose career ended when a racing accident severely injured his left hand. He becomes a private investigator whose enemies see him as fearless and relentless, but internally, Halley battles self-doubt and the trauma of losing his hand.
rich characters and sharp, realistic dialogue push me to hone my craft.
I gave Walker Holmes a similar duality: while he doesn't have a physical disability, he carries the emotional scars of his fiancée's death. This fuels his determination to expose the truth and contributes to his underlying sense that he's fighting an unwinnable battle.
Over the course of six novels, Deke and his law firm have taken on oil corporations, weapons manufacturers, corrupt politicians, big banking, human traffickers and pharmaceutical companies. Powell and his buddy Limbo are Florida Keys characters who magnetically attract mysteries. Then there is Walker Holmes, publisher of the Pensacola Insider.
Dr. Earle is the perfect moderator for this panel. A scholar of Ernest Hemingway and William Faulkner, he has an extensive collection of 20th century pulp magazines. Authors like Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler perfected the art of terse, snappy dialogue in magazines such as Black Mask.
Because of our publication deadline, I am writing this column before the Sept. 17 crime panel, but Dr. Earle has provided a few prompts in advance so I can use this column to organize my thoughts.
The Walker Holmes series has a biographical element. He publishes a weekly newspaper in Pensacola, a town probably too small to support it. Prospective authors are told to write about what they know; I understand Southern politics, newspapers and the pitfalls of investigating misdeeds in a small town.
There are bits of me in Walker Holmes, but I modeled him after Sid Halley, a character created by the late Dick Francis. Francis and his son, Felix, have written a long-running series of novels
My novels are set in Pensacola because I love this town. I appreciate how "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" attracted tourists to Savannah. Lately, I have become a fan of Laura Lippman, who has created a series of novels set in Baltimore.
Besides, Pensacola's blend of military influence, tourism money and small-town politics serves as fertile soil for the corruption and moral ambiguity that fuel great noir fiction.
Dr. Earle pointed out Florida's rich crime fiction history and asked if any authors influenced me. Mississippi author John Grisham has written books with a Florida Panhandle and Gulf Coast connection—"The Whistler," "The Judge's List" and "Boys from Biloxi." The books didn't quite do our area justice, and they inspired me to better capture our part of the world in print.
The crime writer that most inspired me is the late Elmore Leonard. His rich characters and sharp, realistic dialogue push me to hone my craft.
What role does the infamous "Florida Man" phenomenon play in my books? Pensacola has its own version of the "Florida Man," and I share versions of the stories I have heard over my nearly 50 years living here. My cast of characters is a combination of several locals.
Through Walker's eyes, readers discover a Pensacola the tourist brochures never cover—a place where political favors have prices, family grudges span generations and a weekly newspaper publisher just might uncover truths that the local power players desperately want concealed. {in} rick@inweekly.net
COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCIES HAVES & HAVE NOTS
Documents
By Tom St. Myer
Created to revitalize blighted neighborhoods by funding infrastructure, housing and business development projects, thousands of Community Redevelopment Agencies exist in Florida. Three CRAs in Pensacola and nine others in Escambia County count toward that total.
CRAs receive funds through a mechanism known as tax increment financing (TIF). When a CRA is created for a defined area, such as downtown Pensacola's urban core, the taxable value of real property within the area is established as a "base year." Any property tax revenue generated for the City and County by increases in property value above the base year ("the increment") is set aside in a CRA Trust Fund to be used exclusively for redevelopment projects within the CRA's boundaries.
On the surface, CRAs seem to improve challenged areas and pay tremendous dividends. But questions about the effectiveness of CRAs surfaced this past state legislative session. Some lawmakers called for increased accountability, and others wanted to restrict their activity.
Cape Coral Republican Rep. Mike Giallombardo filed a House bill after learning that some CRAs misappropriated funds. His bill called for banning the creation of new CRAs and eliminating all CRAs within the next 20 years. The bill made inroads in the House before being laid on the table. A similar bill in the Senate encountered the same fate.
Pensacola Republican Rep. Alex Andrade supports CRAs, but he agrees with fellow legislators on the need for improvement.
"I think CRAs have a valid purpose, but like any unique tax program, they can be misused," Andrade said. "At the legislative level, there should be some consideration about how many CRAs are still in blighted areas, and have the ones established 10 to 20 years ago achieved their agenda—and if not, why?"
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Escambia County Commission Chair Mike Kohler supports CRAs, citing improvements in Warrington, Brownsville and Barrancas as examples of CRAs positively impacting their communities.
Disadvantaged neighborhoods in his District 2, and the county as a whole, benefit tremendously from the tax increment financing (TIF) that feeds its CRAs. But Kohler is upset that the County contributes over half of the funding to the three City of Pensacola CRAs—Eastside, Urban Core and Westside.
The amount fed into the Urban Core CRA is particularly jarring. For Fiscal Year 2025, the county contributed nearly $7 million of the roughly $12 million. The Downtown Improvement Board contributed about $630,000, and the City contributed nearly $4.4 million.
The Urban Core CRA receives nearly $4 million more in funding than the nine County CRAs combined.
"I don't think anyone thinks that downtown
is a blighted area anymore," Kohler said. "They're exhibit A for the state legislature on why CRAs need to be censored. [Urban Core CRA proponents] are going to say, 'Oh, we're doing all this good,' but it's completely unfair to their fellow county citizens to take that much money away from the revenue that should help all of us."
The City has chosen to retain the maximum (95%) allowed by Florida law of the TIF funds for its CRA districts annually, leaving only 5% for the general funds of the City and County. This irks Commissioner Kohler because the County contributes 75% of the TIF funds for its CRA and retains 25% for its general fund.
"I think this area should have a cap of no more than 75%," Kohler said. "I also believe that they should be under the median income of the rest of the county, which we know now that certain ones in the city aren't."
Kohler continued, "And then, I hate to say it, but the City doesn't help with the jail. They don't help subsidize ECAT. They don't help with the animal shelter. We have to subsidize the Bay Center, too, so the county's on a pretty thin budget, man."
FUTURE OF CITY CRAS
Kohler specifically cited the Urban Core CRA as not being under the median income. Created in the early 1980s when shabbiness characterized downtown, the Urban Core CRA funded improvements to Palafox Street and contributed to the development of Maritime Park. A success by any measure, the CRA deserves it share of credit for the revitalization of downtown.
"It's kind of a model for how redevelopment should look over time," said Victoria D'Angelo, the City of Pensacola's CRA division manager. "Back in the early 80s, the focus was on a multi-faceted approach with capital improvements, roadwork and streets such as Palafox. A lot of historic districts we know today came through CRAs."
She added, "We've seen the results in downtown of what TIF can do. That focused, cyclical approach allows us to hone in and create a strategy that produces results."
Kohler questions what is left for the CRA to accomplish. Plenty, according to the City.
In May, the City adopted the Urban Core CRA Plan Update. The 257-page document includes recommendations for waterfront development, Belmont-DeVilliers infill, neighborhood development and improvements to transportation, streets and parking.
The City adopted similar updates for the
Eastside and Westside CRAs. Expanding housing options is a priority for both.
The old Baptist Hospital campus resides in the Westside CRA. Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves is trying to secure funding to demolish the hospital and build a mixed-income community center. The center would be built in addition to two affordable housing developments that Paces Preservation Partners plans to start construction on later this year.
Kohler is adamant the County not spend any money from its general fund to "bail out Baptist," and he is irritated that the County contributes over $1.5 million to the Westside CRA.
"This is why I have a problem with Baptist," Kohler said. "So in the Westside, they're going to get right under $1.6 million. Next year, we'll only get $90,000 out of the Westside CRA. And I'm all for them, but they should have to pay something in the county, not $90,000."
He continued, "And you know, 95% to 5% is just ridiculous. I mean, they're gonna make $20 million in the next 10 years, and we may get $1 million of that in the Westside CRA."
SUNSET ON CRAS
Kohler voiced further frustration when he learned last week that the City closed residential program applications for each of the three CRAs.
"We're closed in terms of accepting applications for residential programs because there are quite a few on the docket [with a] waitlist of one to two years," D'Angelo said. "We're looking for ways to improve the application process."
The commercial program application is open to Urban Core and Westside business owners. D'Angelo said funding is too limited for the commercial program application to be open for the Eastside CRA.
The bold projects the City adopted for the three CRAs come with deadlines. The Urban Core CRA sunsets in 2043. The Eastside and Westside CRAs each sunset two years later in 2045.
"I'll be in assisted living or dead by then, you know," Kohler said. "And meanwhile, the people on the west side of the county will still be trying to get sidewalks in their neighborhood. We're making progress, just not at the rate I'd like to."
Kohler wonders if CRAs will still exist in 20 years. Gov. Ron DeSantis aggressively sought to eliminate property taxes this past session. If property taxes are eliminated, CRAs lose their primary funding source.
"If they get rid of the property taxes, do you think that the low-income people in our community are going to get more or less?" Kohler said. "They're going to get less. To me, it's not a very compassionate approach to dealing with some of our most in-need neighborhoods."
The commission chair added, "And most of us, including us, have more non-homestead people paying tax than homestead people. A lot of the people who don't have homestead property will get a huge benefit from no property tax, and the people that are mostly invested in the community will get more fees. Yeah, it doesn't seem right, does it?" {in}
Courtesy of City of Pensacola
3
• 5 Keynotes • 21 Breakouts
D.C. Reeves Mayor of Pensacola
Jill Miller President and CEO Bethesda Inc. & the bi3 Fund
Chuck Marohn President & Founder Strong Towns
Practical strategies for economic vitality, placemaking, and resilience
Here’s What to Expect:
Candid conversations with local leaders and national experts doing the work
Networking with peers who share your commitment to making great places Thursday, Sept. 25
8:00 AM Blue Wahoos Stadium Concourse Registration and a Complimentary Breakfast
9:00 AM Hancock Whitney Club
10:15 AM
KEYNOTE: Ilana PreussRecast Your Downtown: Building Economic Opportunity Through Small-Scale Manufacturing
Hancock Whitney Club Campus, Community, and Civic Conversation: The Lafayette Story
Home Clubhouse From the Inside Out: Building Community Engagement Through Organizational Culture
Season Ticket Holder Lounge The SPARK Assessment for Economic Resilience
Maritime Training Room How to Activate Local Advocates - and Keep Them Engaged for the Long Haul
Visitor’s Clubhouse Art as the Heart of Vibrant Communities
11:30 PM Blue Wahoos Stadium Concourse Break for Lunch - Enjoy a complimentary lunch provided on the Blue Wahoos Concourse
12:00 PM Maritime Training Room Local Motive Lunch & Learn (Feat. Rebekah Kik) All About Pre-Approved Housing Plans
Breakout Sessions
Visitor’s Clubhouse The Completely Unqualified Community Leader’s Survival Guide
Hancock Whitney Club From Grassroots to Grandeur
1:15 PM
Home Clubhouse The SCI Venture Mentoring Service: Team Mentoring to Help Your Venture Grow
Maritime Training Room Building Trust With Local Media
Season Ticket Holder Lounge Beyond the Clinic: What Really Shapes Health
Hancock Whitney Club Want Incremental Development? Look to Your Community’s History
Home Clubhouse America’s New Main Streets: Trails as Engines of Growth
2:30 PM
Visitor’s Clubhouse Food is Medicine: Nourishing Health Through Community Action
Season Ticket Holder Lounge CivicCon: Raising Pensacola’s Civic IQ
3:45 PM Hancock Whitney Club Quint Studer: Closing Keynote
Scan to Purchase Tickets
Ilana Preuss President & Founder Strong Towns
Quint Studer Founder of Studer Community Institute
BLUE WAHOOS STADIUM
state face physician shortages. Sacred Heart Pensacola and the FSU College of Medicine understand that where a physician trains is highly predictive of where they will practice. The Florida Hospital Association reports that 63.1% of doctors who train in Florida stay in the state.
"We're happy to surpass that average," said Bill Boyer, DHSc, associate dean of Graduate Medical Education and the designated institutional official for all sponsored programs at the College of Medicine. "Seventy-two percent of this year's graduates from our GME programs have elected to stay in state—with many at our partnering institutions."
Dr. Alma Littles, dean of the FSU College of Medicine, said, "Our purpose was clear from the beginning—educate outstanding physicians who serve all the people of Florida, particularly the elderly and those who live in rural and underserved areas, and I am happy to say we are succeeding in this mission with more than 53% of our alumni living and working in this state."
The ER program will begin on July 1, 2026, with 15 residents taking part in the first year. The number of residents will increase by 15 annually, reaching a maximum of 45 residents at the start of the third year. Faculty for the program will be provided through Vituity, a 100% physicianowned partnership.
The first two accredited Graduate Medical Education faculty for the program will be Andrea Austin M.D., MS-HPEd, FACEP, Emergency Medicine Program Director, and Lori Winston M.D., FACEP.
Multiple 19th-century state supreme courts upheld concealed carry bans precisely because they preserved the right to carry openly. The Tennessee Supreme Court wrote in 1840 that arms "must necessarily be borne openly" to fulfill their constitutional purpose.
In a 2022 interview with Inweekly following his arrest, McDaniels said he was "showing my freedom" on Independence Day, adding that he chose a low-traffic area and simply "tucked my shirt in" to display his holstered weapon.
After the appellate decision, the Pensacola Police Department, Escambia County Sheriff's Office and Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office announced they would no longer enforce Florida's law banning the open carry of a firearm.
ROLLBACK RATE At its board meeting on Sept. 10, the Escambia Children's Trust opted for a rollback millage rate rather than maintaining the current tax level. The meeting combined both a preliminary tax hearing and regular board session.
After extensive discussion, the board unanimously voted to adopt the rollback rate of 0.03798 mills, representing a decrease from earlier proposals. Executive Director Lindsey Cannon explained the reasoning behind this decision.
Several programs requested budget reductions for their third year, including the Emerald Coast Boys and Girls Club, which reduced its participant target from 350 to 260 and their budget by 27%. Ray explained the rationale: "Having those conversations and offering those explanations and them being good stewards of their finances and noticing—this is the second year that we've noticed their expenditures have been lower consistently."
Despite the controversy, board members emphasized their commitment to transparency and community engagement. Board member Tori Woods invited critics to participate more directly in the organization's work.
"I would love for you to come to a program committee meeting," she said. "We also do have, in the next year, grants that we vote on. We do allow people to apply to sit on those committees, to read through those grants and help us make those decisions."
The meeting concluded with approval of the Early Learning Coalition school readiness match contract renewal, continuing a partnership that supports working families with childcare funding gaps.
First District Court of Appeal struck down Florida Statute 790.053, which has prohibited the open carrying of firearms since 1987. This ruling reversed the conviction of Stanley Victor McDaniels, who was arrested on July 4, 2022, for openly carrying a holstered handgun while holding a copy of the Constitution at a Pensacola intersection.
McDaniels, who was running for Escambia County Commissioner District 4 at the time, had his conviction vacated as a result of the landmark decision.
The court's ruling relied heavily on the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen, which transformed how courts evaluate gun laws. Under the new standard, courts must determine whether modern firearms regulations align with America's historical tradition of gun regulation, rather than applying the previous "means-end scrutiny" that balanced public safety against constitutional rights.
The Florida court found that open carry falls within the Second Amendment's protection of the right to "bear arms." Critically, the state failed to demonstrate that prohibiting open carry has historical precedent.
The ruling highlighted a crucial historical distinction often overlooked today: open carry and concealed carry were viewed differently in early America. Historical court decisions cited in the opinion show that open carry was considered the honorable, lawful method of bearing arms, while concealed carry was associated with "cowardly" behavior and "unmanly assassinations."
"What I will tell you is we had some good news just today," Cannon reported. "In fact from the Early Learning Coalition, although they're sustaining a cut, it's about half of what they thought it was going to be … They were thinking before [that the gap] would be 400 to 500 kids. They've been able to look at that … and the gap would [actually] be around 140 children."
Board member Stephanie White expressed support for the rollback. "I would prefer the rollback rate. I feel like … we have some great news in the community and that we've also been able to recapture some funds, but I also want the public to know that the Trust is making a difference."
The public comment period brought forward pointed criticism about the organization's spending priorities. Citizens questioned reports suggesting high administrative costs versus direct services to children.
A concerned taxpayer challenged the board directly. "I will quote from a WEAR report dated May 21," he said during public forum. "In that report, 88% of the expenditures by this board was for salary and benefits. I'm going to refer to that as administrative. Thus, about 11% went to actually benefiting the children."
Commissioner Lumon May sought clarification on these figures, asking for data on administrative versus direct service costs. Finance Director Tammy Abrams clarified that their administrative rate as an organization was "about 5.94" percent, with the remainder going to programs that include salaries for direct service providers like tutors and counselors.
Program Director Deborah Ray presented detailed year-end reports for the Trust's five mental health programs, revealing both successes and areas for improvement. The review process included site visits and detailed financial analysis for each provider.
Missing from the board agenda was any discussion of the Pensacola Little Theatre (PLT) returning misappropriated Trust funds or whether the Trust will fund the PLT program for a third year.
On July 24, PLT sent a check to the Escambia Children's Trust. The cover email stated, "I am sending you herewith a check in the amount of $65,631.69 together with a list of reimbursements that you made to Pensacola Little Theatre that we have determined were in error."
Cannon has since announced that the Trust has asked the Florida Auditor General to review the reimbursement.
PUBLIC SCHOOL CRISIS Escambia County Public Schools has experienced a significant enrollment decline, losing 1,122 students—a 3% decrease—since Fall 2024. Current enrollment stands at 35,646 students, down from 36,768 the previous year.
The decline represents a concerning longterm trend for the district. Enrollment dropped from 40,656 students a decade ago to 37,804 students in 2021. Escambia County's enrollment challenges mirror a statewide pattern linked to Florida's expanded voucher program.
The Florida Empowerment Scholarship program, which eliminated financial eligibility restrictions and enrollment caps as of the 2023-24 school year, allows families to use state funding for private schools and homeschooling. The average scholarship award increased from $8,200 in 2024-25 to $8,833 per pupil this year.
Several Florida school districts are reporting substantial losses. Pinellas County Schools lost approximately 4,000 students compared to last year, while Hillsborough County saw a decline of more than 7,000 students. Brevard County experienced a 6.25% drop, losing 4,578 students (going from 73,577 to 68,999). Miami-Dade
County, the state's largest district, saw enrollment fall from 326,279 to 313,220—a decrease of 13,059 students or 4%.
Originally designed to help families with limited financial resources, the voucher program's expansion has fundamentally altered Florida's educational landscape, drawing students away from traditional public schools across the state.
NEW CITY LDC
The City of Pensacola has spent the past year reviewing its Land Development Code (LDC), with the help of Inspire Engagement. The LDC governs zoning, development review, subdivisions, parking, landscaping and more, shaping how the city grows and evolves The first public draft is now available online at cityofpensacola.com.
Speaking at a press conference on Sept. 9, Mayor D.C. Reeves outlined the two transformative changes residents can expect from this comprehensive code revision. The most substantial change addresses a problem that has plagued city development for years: contradictory and redundant language scattered throughout the existing code.
"We had parts of our code with so many duplicative things," Reeves explained, describing the current system as "band-aids on band-aids on band-aids, where you could actually read a part of the code and interpret it one way and then turn 20 pages and interpret it another way."
The cleanup effort seeks to eliminate the confusing, sometimes contradictory language that has created uncertainty for both city staff and residents. While this change may seem clerical on the surface, it represents a fundamental shift that should benefit everyone involved in the development process.
The second major focus tackles Pensacola's ongoing housing shortage through what the mayor calls "neighborhood thickening"—strategically increasing density in appropriate locations without compromising neighborhood character. This approach doesn't mean high-rise buildings in every neighborhood, but rather consideration of where additional housing units, such as duplexes or garage apartments, could be added to existing residential areas.
The LDC revision process, which began last December, has had broad community input from council members, residents, city staff and Inspire consultants. The collaborative approach recognizes that different stakeholders—architects, contractors and planning professionals— bring unique perspectives to the table.
Reeves said, "The goal is that not that everybody's going to get everything they want, but that we end up with something harmonious that puts us in a better place."
The mayor stated that streamlined processes and clear regulations are equally important tools in addressing the housing crisis. Large-scale residential developers often choose between multiple communities for their projects, and unclear or cumbersome development codes can be decisive factors in those investment decisions.
The mayor said, "I think speed of develop -
ment and clarity of development could be just as valuable as quite literally changing zoning code that would allow two units to be built instead of one."
The City of Pensacola will hold a public workshop from 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the HaglerMason Conference Room at Pensacola City Hall, 222 Main St. The workshop offers the public an opportunity to provide feedback on the first draft.
CHAPPIE JAMES LIMBO
The proposed memorial plaza honoring General Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. continues to face hurdles, with Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves outlining the ongoing challenges during his press conference on Sept. 9.
The memorial project, championed by the Gen. Daniel "Chappie" James Jr. Memorial Foundation, has been stalled for months. The original stewardship agreement between the city and foundation expired on June 30, and Mayor Reeves explained that the gap between what was required and what was provided was too substantial to simply modify the existing document.
"The agreement as written required showing proof of funding and plans," Mayor Reeves said. "The delta was so wide that we can't just redline that or change the date. We felt it would be more necessary to wait until the funding's there and the plan's there."
Another sticking point involves financial liability. Escambia County has requested that the City of Pensacola assume responsibility for any funding sources that might later be deemed noncompliant, such as Tourist Development Taxes. Mayor Reeves has rejected this arrangement, explaining that city taxpayers shouldn't bear the risk if county funding streams are later found to be inappropriate.
"We are absolutely not going to sign something that says no matter where the source of funding comes from the county's coffers, we now take responsibility if they end up being non-compliant."
Mayor Reeves clarified his previous suggestion about Veterans Memorial Park as an alternative location, noting it wasn't meant to replace the current proposal but rather offer a solution if funding challenges persist. The park location would be closer to James' original Pensacola house and already serves as a veterans' memorial area.
The mayor made it clear that the foundation needs to demonstrate concrete progress before the city will commit resources to negotiations. Outstanding issues include the foundation's financial transparency.
"The ball's in the foundation's court," Mayor Reeves stated definitively. "We're happy to make it work, but we aren't signing for risk obligation on $750,000, and we aren't going to enter into an agreement without knowing that it's going to happen."
The city remains open to discussions once the foundation provides proof of funding and detailed project plans but won't move forward without explicit assurances that the memorial can actually be completed. {in}
To send questions in advance with name and town, email info@wsre.org or message WSRE on Facebook.
Dialogue with the Delegation
Hosted by Jeff Weeks
Northwest Florida legislators will answer YOUR questions about local issues and legislative priorities.
THURS SEPT 25 7PM
Live broadcast on WSRE PBS, wsre.org/livestream, NewsRadio 92.3 FM & 1620 AM and @wsretv on Facebook and YouTube
Arts & Entertainment
What Opera Truly Is
By Savannah Evanoff
"Three Decembers" is ideal for opera first-timers.
Cody Martin, the music director of Pensacola Opera, explained it's an American opera written in English with an ultra-compelling plot, and it's shorter than a typical opera at only 90 minutes. The story follows Broadway star Madeline Mitchell (aka Maddie) and her dynamic relationships with her two adult children—Bea and Charlie. The show spans three Decembers in 1986, 1996 and 2006.
"We've wanted to do this show for a long time because of how it's so relatable and so down to earth," Martin said. "There's going to be something that everybody can relate to or has experienced. It's just very real. It's real-world people, real-world problems. We all have our relationship with our family, right? Everybody has issues."
The stars aligned at the right time with the right cast and in the right venue. Studio artists Jason Edelstein and Denique Isaac will play Charlie and Bea, respectively, and returning professional Kara Shay Thomson will play Maddie.
"They're all so talented; they're all incred -
ible actors," Martin said. "And of course, since two of them are studio artists, they're young and exciting talents. The actress playing Maddie is a singer who's performed at the Opera many times … this is a role that really is something she will be amazing at; it was kind of written for her personality, and so everything aligned. We also were able to do it at UWF, which is the perfect space for it, because it's got everything you need in a theater—but it's also more intimate, so the audience will all feel up close to the story."
Another thing that makes "Three Decembers" even more accessible is the music. The concept was originally supposed to be a musical but was turned into an opera along the way. You can sense those origins, Martin explained, referring to a scene in which the audience sees a vignette of a Broadway show Maddie is doing.
"If you just cut that song out and you played it for somebody, it sounds like a classic 1980s musical theater show tune; it's so cool," Martin said. "Even outside of that scene, a lot of the vocal writing—it's very musical theater-esque.
It's all so easy to listen to. It's pretty beautiful melodies. We will have supertitles with the text projected, but it's written so well that you almost don't need to look at them. The vocal writing is such that the text is always
"Three Decembers" is a chamber opera, meaning the music will be performed by a smaller orchestra—in this case, 11 players, two of whom are pianists. It only features the three aforemen-
"There's no chorus, no supernumerary, no actors or dancers or anything," Martin said. "So it's just a very intimate, small-scale feel. That's probably the biggest differentiation: how few people will be playing, but also the music itself. It's so listenable. After I'm rehearsing, I definitely come away humming, which I'm sure some audiences will catch on to, too."
And to clarify, while the show takes place in December, it's not Christmas-themed. The significance of the month is that every year, Madeline writes a
"So the opening scene is Bea and Charlie in in their respective homes, and they're on the phone—and since it's in 1986, we get to source a really fun corded telephone for that scene," Martin said. "They're on the phone with each other reading their latest Christmas letter from their mother. So that's why it's in December; it's centered around that."
The different eras represented in the plot have made for a different style of set and costumes.
"The set is actually being designed by Connie Smith, who is in the technical side of the theater department at the university, and it's kind of abstract; but also there'll be some physical things to it as well, some nice levels, lots of nice colors," Martin said. "We're going to have some projections involved, so there'll be a little bit of immersiveness with those."
Costume designer Kendall Dayton found many items locally.
"A lot of the stuff she is sourcing for the costumes has been thrifted, or she's gotten some things from Poshmark, the website where you can buy [pre-owned] clothes and stuff," Martin
said. "The costumes are going to be amazing, too. Some of them are real '80s, '90s pieces."
The contemporary nature of the piece alone makes it a great watch for those new to opera, Martin said. And he always gets excited for people to experience this piece specifically for the first time.
"There's just something about it, the combination of the story and how real it is when you get to the final scene, and they're making peace with everything," Martin said. "Even in rehearsals, you can't not have a tear come to your eye. So I'm excited for audiences to experience it for the first time and just really see how moving opera can be, especially once you strip away the huge chorus and huge sets and big orchestra. When you pull all that away, you see what opera truly is, which is just storytelling and relating to the characters on stage and seeing a little bit of yourself reflected."
One of the storylines in "Three Decembers" centers on a relationship affected by AIDS, and Martin described it as "moving and heartwrenching." To further highlight that important theme, Pensacola Opera is partnering with The Red Ribbon Charitable Foundation and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation to host a panel discussion on Thursday, Sept. 18. There will also be a section of quilts from the AIDS Memorial Quilt project on display in the lobby during shows. {in}
THREE DECEMBERS
WHAT: Pensacola Opera's production of Jake Heggie's chamber opera
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 19 and 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21
WHERE: Mainstage Theatre at UWF Center for Fine and Performing Arts, 11000 University Parkway, Building 82
COST: $30 general admission
DETAILS: pensacolaopera.com
A PANEL DISCUSSION: THE EVOLUTION OF THE AIDS EPIDEMIC IN NORTHWEST FLORIA
WHAT: A conversation in partnership with The Red Ribbon Charitable Foundation and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation
WHEN: 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18
WHERE: Pensacola Opera Center, 75 S. Tarragona St.
COST: Free
DETAILS: pensacolaopera.com
Cody Martin / Photo Courtesy of Pensacola Opera