Pensacola Updates - Page 14

fvcrew22 · #**261** Posted **Feb 16, 2011, 1:04 AM**

A good summary from the news journal about some local projects under construction or soon to be under construction.

Quote:

In the works: $205 million in local projects are under way
Carlton Proctor • cproctor@pnj.com • February 15, 2011

If big-ticket capital projects are any indication, 2011 is shaping up to be a strong rebound year for the Pensacola Bay Area economy.
A rundown of the major projects, either scheduled for completion this year or getting under way during 2011, is impressive and totals more than $205 million.
The projects listed below are the result of a rich mix of both public and private investment and cooperation. Moreover, together they will, help create more than 1,500 new jobs in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.

Navy Federal Credit Union
Topping the list of major capital projects is Navy Federal Credit Union’s three-story Building 4, a 225,000-square-foot, $80 million building that will complete the Virginia-based company’s Heritage Oaks Campus in Beulah.

Built by Greenhut Construction Co., Building 4 is scheduled for an early April completion, according to Navy Federal spokeswoman Janice Kilgore.

By far the largest of the four buildings at Heritage Oaks, the new facility will house as many as 1,100 employees, pushing Navy Federal’s total number of employees to more than 3,000.

Building 4 will bring Navy Federal’s total investment in its Heritage Oaks operation to more than $250 million, and the Senior Vice President Debbie Calder said is far beyond what was originally envisioned by the company.

Community Maritime Park
The public portion of the $52 million Community Maritime Park is scheduled for completion by the end of December of this year, according to contracts approved by the park’s board of directors.

The foundation for the park’s multi-use stadium is well under way, and with the recent announcement by Quint Studer that he has purchased a Double-A baseball team to start play in spring of 2012, the stadium seating capacity could be expanded from the current 3,500 to 5,000.

The additional capacity would be closer to the 6,000 seat capacity recommended by league officials.

New hotel
Construction of a $25 million hotel, retail and professional office complex on a leased 11.44 acre site within Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport property is set to get under way late in the third quarter of this year, according to developer Julian MacQueen.

MacQueen has secured a franchise to build a Hyatt hotel on the property and is currently working with several lenders to line up about $15 million for the hotel portion of the development.

Sandspur spokesman Rich Chism said the project will:

Create jobs for more than 500 individual tradesmen during construction.

Create 235 permanent jobs and a $4 million annual payroll from all businesses within the hotel-office complex.

Generate more than $100,000 in Local Option Sales Taxes to the City of Pensacola, at no cost to City of Pensacola taxpayers.

Avalex Technologies
Avalex Technologies owner and CEO Tad Ihns said his new $10 million corporate headquarters in Gulf Breeze will be completed in September of this year.

“The project is progressing very well,” he said. “We poured the foundations for the new building in mid-January and the steel for the new building should be erected in February. Glass will go in starting in late April. There will be a lot of visible progress in the next three months.”

Ihns decided to move his company from downtown Pensacola after several unsuccessful attempts to find developable properties in Escambia County.

Avalex designs and manufacturers specialized aerial infrared surveillance equipment for the military and law enforcement. He employs 55 high-wage technicians and researchers and expects to expand his workforce once in the new building, the former site of World Ford on U.S. 98, east of Naval Live Oaks in Gulf Breeze.

Ihns decision to move to Gulf Breeze is being met with enthusiastic support from Santa Rosa economic development officials.

“We’re hoping this is the first of many quality companies to locate on this site,” TEAM Santa Rosa Chairman Ferd Salomon said. “It’s a beautiful location — very visible — and there’s plenty of room to grow.”

Baptist Health Care
Baptist Health Care has three major expansion projects under way and scheduled for completion later year. The three total more than $35 million.

They are:

$24 million Baptist Hospital campus renovation and expansion that includes a two-story, new entrance to the hospital.

“The new entrance to Baptist Hospital will serve as the ‘gateway’ to building a better Baptist. We are proud to make this investment for our campus and the community.

Surgical Services will add four new digital operating rooms to help expand services to meet the needs of those in our service area including oncology, heart and vascular, orthopaedics, obstetrics and gynecology and neurology as well as a wide range of general surgical services.

The new interior design will extend throughout hallway corridors and to the 24-hour Emergency Department. Public restrooms will be updated as well as the campus grounds including new landscape, green space and parking.

Lakeview Center’s

$6 million specialized facility for children broke ground in December 2010.
The three-story, 48,600-square-foot building will allow Lakeview to provide all outpatient children’s services in one location.

Gulf Breeze Hospital began renovation and expansion construction in April 2010. The project, scheduled for completion early this year, provides increased access and convenience for patients of south Santa Rosa County and surrounding areas.

The project includes outfitting two shelled rooms in the current Intensive Care Unit, and constructing a 10,000-square-foot annex that will house additional inpatient beds for surgical patients. Gulf Breeze Hospital is on track to complete renovations to the annex in February 2011.

Technology park
Ground was broken late last year for a $3.1 million project to install infrastructure to support a downtown technology park, to be situated on property near Gulf Power Co. and the Pensacola Civic Center.

The infrastructure improvement project, on track for completion by mid-year, is a partnership between Escambia County, the City of Pensacola, the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Pensacola-Escambia Promotion and Development Commission.

Phase I of the tech park includes construction of a $1.1 million storm water pond and facilities in the Admiral Mason Park to handle the runoff from the 9.2 acre site. Utility Services Co. Inc., of Gulf Breeze was the low bidder and was awarded the contract.

Another phase of the current construction is a $2,061,011 construction contract awarded by the PEDC to contractor Green-Simmons for the tech campus infrastructure.

The bid includes extending Salamanca Street from Florida Blanca to Ninth Avenue, utilities, sidewalks, a public park area, and other amenities.

Officials say the project is estimated to create more than 1,000 jobs in downtown after full build out of the tech park.

Link: http://www.pnj.com/article/20110215/...-are-under-way

SouthSky · #**262** Posted **Feb 16, 2011, 1:50 AM**

Thanks for posting the article, fvcrew.

I'm really excited about the future Mobile-Pensacola baseball rivalry along with the new stadium. Are there any renderings out for this new stadium? I saw the older ones on the CMP website and the whole area is going to look nice in my opinion.

Also, I guess this airport Hyatt will be a Hyatt Place?

fvcrew22 · #**263** Posted **Feb 16, 2011, 11:52 PM**

Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing the Pensacola- Mobile baseball rivalry as well, I'm not a baseball fan but I'll still have to check it out to support the local team. Not sure if these are the rendering you've seen of the stadium or not, these were of it with the 3,500 seats, but the will be adding more as mentioned above. I haven't seen any more recent plans.

And yes, the airport Hyatt will be a Hyatt Place, below is the rendering from the development's website along with a site plan to show the entire layout with offices and retail planned as well.

Maritime Park Website with additional renderings and info: http://www.maritimepark.us/mp/renderings.html

Hyatt:

Link: http://www.airportand12th.com/

Port_of_Bama · #**264** Posted **Feb 17, 2011, 9:57 PM**

Nice Park !! There was a Hyatt proposal for DT Mobile a couple of years ago.

fvcrew22 · #**265** Posted **Jun 3, 2011, 12:49 AM**

A couple of construction photos from the maritime park baseball stadium from the news journal today. Also a shot on I took on my phone from main street last week looking at the stadium construction, it's coming along.

The article that went along with these pictures was to discuss the Maritime Park Board looking for a property manager for the site.
http://www.pnj.com/apps/pbcs.dll/sec...ItemsPerPage=5

OCA REP · #**266** Posted **Jun 3, 2011, 7:48 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by fvcrew22

Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing the Pensacola- Mobile baseball rivalry as well, I'm not a baseball fan but I'll still have to check it out to support the local team. Not sure if these are the rendering you've seen of the stadium or not, these were of it with the 3,500 seats, but the will be adding more as mentioned above. I haven't seen any more recent plans.

Not too bad. I really prefer new baseball parks with a more "retro" feel, but this one seems to fit the location. I have not followed our Montgomery Biscuits on a road trip yet, but might have to add the Pensacola Blue Wahoos to an away-game list!

Muskavon · #**267** Posted **Jun 7, 2011, 5:38 AM**

I don't know what the "Blue Wahoo's" music theme will be...but it's too bad Linda Ronstadt's "Blue Bayou" is so slow. You could easily change the words of that beautiful song into a baseball song fit for this club, and it's perfect for Blue Wahoos.....except it would put everyone in the ballpark asleep. It's not an anthem or an eye opener. People would jump to their deaths off the top bleachers upon hearing such a melody.

What's the song for this team? It's not as easy as the Barracuda arena football team we had. This one requires Heart to go back to the studio and cut a new track. "I like that Blue Wahoo you do so well?" Nah. lol.

fvcrew22 · #**268** Posted **Jun 14, 2011, 5:12 PM**

Some development news from the news journal today..

Quote:

Land deal with IT firm could bring 100 jobs to Pensacola
Company known only as 'Project Press' aims to bring 100 jobs, $4M investment
Written by Jamie Page

The City of Pensacola may be nearing a deal with an information technology firm proposing to bring 100 jobs and a $4 million investment to downtown.

Since October 2009, the city's Community Redevelopment Agency, in cooperation with the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce, has been negotiating with a company the city will anonymously label only as "Project Press."

The tech company currently has a Pensacola facility and is looking to expand downtown, according to a September 2009 memo to the city from Charles Wood, the chamber's former senior vice president of economic development.

The CRA-owned parcel, currently a metered parking lot, is in the center of the block of Government between Spring and Baylen streets, west of Gulf Winds Federal Credit Union.

"I said, whatever was on the table, let's get it back on the table and get some business in Pensacola," Mayor Ashton Hayward said. "My role is to create jobs, and be proactive for taxpayers, and when the city has property where we can be a conduit to do business, we should."

Today, the city is running a legal advertisement in the News Journal as a notice of intent to dispose of the property and is now accepting other proposals for the parcel.

The legal ad states that alternative proposals must include "no less than 30,000 square feet of business or office space, $4 million in capital investment, 100 new full-time employees, and completion of construction within 24 months."

These thresholds are based on the levels of jobs and construction the technology firm has proposed for the CRA site.

The city's legal notice will stand until July 14. After that, the CRA and City Council will be asked to consider any proposals, and if no company has pitched something larger, then Project Press is likely set to get the land.
"I know we are very close to a deal, but there are some things you have to go through before you can close on it," Hayward said.

full article: http://www.pnj.com/article/20110614/...|img|FRONTPAGE

Muskavon · #**269** Posted **Jul 2, 2011, 2:45 AM**

Is "Project Press" and "Everest" the same deals? Or do either even exist anymore? I'm used to nothing happening, so give it to me straight when you hear it.

fvcrew22 · #**270** Posted **Oct 12, 2011, 11:34 PM**

Well, it told a while but here is the result of "project press." Good news and hopefully it goes according to plan.

A few highlights from the article..

Quote:

Hixardt expanding downtown HQ, plans to add 100 jobs
Pensacola News Journal
Written by Jamie Page
11:00 PM, Oct. 10, 2011

An economic development partnership with Pensacola-based Hixardt Technologies Inc. is expected to bring a new five-story building and 100 new high-tech jobs to downtown Pensacola over the next five years.

Hixardt plans to invest a minimum of $4 million in constructing the new 40,000-square-foot office building adjacent to its current headquarters on West Intendencia Street, said company owner Michael Hicks Jr.

The Government Street property where it plans to build is owned by the city's Community Redevelopment Agency and currently is used as a surface parking lot....
http://www.pnj.com/article/20111011/...s-add-100-jobs

Nomad9 · #**271** Posted **Oct 14, 2011, 2:16 AM**

I lived in Pensacola from '05 to '09, and returned last summer. I must say, I'm impressed by Pensacola's progress. The new jobs downtown, expansion of the airport with new UPS facility, etc, are great for this area. Not to mention the Maritime Park is looking great--I think it'll be amazing for the downtown area.

youngbloodz · #**272** Posted **Mar 19, 2012, 6:07 PM**

Pensacola Beach officials vote yes on $25 million overpass plan
The Santa Rosa Island Authority approved the measure 5-1, but many residents call the $25 million plan too expensive.

View full sizeAn artist's rendering of a $25 million plan for elevating two major roadways in Pensacola Beach.
PENSACOLA BEACH, Florida -- The Santa Rosa Island Authority, the local governing body of Pensacola Beach, approved by a 5-1 vote a $25 million plan to elevate the intersection of two of the major roads in town to allow pedestrian traffic underneath the roadway.

According to a report in the Pensacola News Journal, however, there are caveats. The SRIA wants to continue to participate in the design phase with Escambia County and maintain a right to explore other options.

The board also voted to explore all funding options for the project. The original proposal to increase the toll on the Bob Sikes Bridge from Gulf Breeze to Pensacola Beach was seen as a last resort.

The proposal would elevate the intersection of Via de Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road, the two major roadways through

Many opponents of the plan showed up for last night's meeting, saying it was too expensive. One man, a crossing guard at Pensacola Beach Elementary school, got loud applause when he offered to help pedestrians cross the busy streets in the SRIA would give him the $25 million.

youngbloodz · #**273** Posted **Mar 19, 2012, 6:08 PM**

Retail bounce
1 News that Fresh Market, Marshalls, DSW and ULTA will be opening stores in Pensacola this fall is another sign the local retail economy is recovering — and maybe even preparing for a breakout year.

One by one, national retailers who once ignored Pensacola are giving the city another serious look.

A lot of the attention lately is being focused on what Simon Property Group is going to do with its University Mall site. Simon also owns Cordova Mall.

Simon's not saying what retailers are coming, but it is saying there will be four large stores built on the site of the former mall near the intersection of Davis Highway and Interstate 10.

There are persistent rumors that Costco will be one of those new tenants.

This growing interest in Pensacola by national retailers is having some spillover effect on local investors.

Last week, I spoke with a government official who said he is seeing a steady stream of investors inquiring about vacant commercial and retail properties around the urban area.

"They are coming in and asking a lot of questions about certain properties," he said. "And when they do come in, they all whisper, as if they don't want anybody to know what properties they are looking at."

Barring another unexpected economic setback, the second half of 2012 could be shaping up as a comeback year for the Pensacola area's retail economy.

Wahoos reach out
2 Pensacola Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer says he is intent on diversifying the workforce he hires to help run the AA baseball team.

He says he has found an effective way to do just that.

"Over the years I have heard that it is difficult to diversify a company's workforce due to lack of applications from minorities," Studer wrote in a recent email sent to me.

"We recently tried another approach for Blue Wahoos. We worked with area churches on the westside of Pensacola and had a second job fair at (another) church. We had an excellent turnout."

Housing putters along
3 While the retail sector may be seeing better times ahead, the housing market is trudging along slowly in the right direction.

With April, May and June as peak months for sales, Realtors and brokers are seeing monthly sales number climb, albeit slowly, while the inventory of unsold homes is shrinking.

Indeed, this time a year ago there were more than 4,700 homes on the local market, according to the Pensacola Association of Realtors.

Since then, the inventory of unsold homes has dropped every month. It was down to near 3,200 in February, a level not seen since before the 2007 housing collapse.

youngbloodz · #**274** Posted **Mar 19, 2012, 6:11 PM**

youngbloodz · #**275** Posted **Mar 19, 2012, 6:12 PM**

Five Flags Bank Inc. announced it will relocate First Navy Bank's main branch on Taylor Road to downtown Pensacola.

The new location will be on the southeast corner of Palafox and Main streets with an estimated opening date in the spring of 2013.

According to a press release, the purpose of the move is to "bring one of the most technologically advanced banks into the downtown market while keeping the atmosphere community oriented and consumer friendly."

The bank will offer personal, private and business banking products and services - marking its debut into the business banking industry.

Five Flags Bank Inc is the holding company for First Navy Bank, Warrington Bank and Bank of the South, which have all been rated four or more stars for the past 20 consecutive years.

youngbloodz · #**276** Posted **Mar 19, 2012, 6:23 PM**

http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/e...a/Baseball.jpg

youngbloodz · #**277** Posted **Mar 19, 2012, 6:26 PM**

Boy, when it rains, it pours.

After months of hearing about lost jobs in Santa Rosa County, yesterday saw the announcement of three impressive economic development wins for the Pensacola area. Local IT company Hixardt Technologies will be expanding downtown with a new building and around 100 new jobs; the Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce was awarded $300,000 in grants for a cyber warfare research lab at Corry Station; and UPS announced they will move their regional sorting facility to Pensacola international Airport.

The Hixardt deal has been simmering since 2009, when city began negotiations under the code name “Project Press.” The idea was to provide a vacant CRA-owned property at 120 West Government Street as an incentive to bring more high tech jobs downtown. After years of delays, a deal has finally been reached. Hixardt Technologies, which provides IT services to government and enterprise industries, will spend at least $4 million to construct a 40,000-square-foot office building at the Government Street property (adjacent to their current location on Intendencia Street). The CRA will forgive portions of their $750,000 mortgage as the building is finished and for every 25 “sustainable and measurable” jobs Hixardt creates, at an expected average salary of $45,000. Hixardt has won several high-profile IT contracts in the last few years, including a five-year deal with Eglin Air Force Base valued at $19.2 million, so these are very realistic goals. Read more about their downtown plans in this CRA document.

The two grants secured by the Chamber — $200,000 Defense Infrastructure and $100,000 Defense Reinvestment — will be used to improve facilities at the awesomely named “Center for Information Dominance,” or CENINFODOM, at Corry Station. The facility will be used as a “battle lab” to simulate a variety of cyber attacks and create more effective defenses.

Economic development is not strictly a zero-sum game, but at least in the case of UPS, our gain is Mobile’s loss. The deal will reportedly bring 30 jobs to Pensacola and will include some infrastructure improvements at the airport to enable the twice daily cargo shipments from Louisville. For its part, the airport is chipping in $25,000 in incentives.

Every successful city in America is working to attract new jobs through smart incentives and public-private partnerships, so it’s good to know Pensacola is staying competitive. Great job to Mayor Hayward, the Chamber, and everyone else who did the legwork to land these deals. Let’s keep it up!

Nomad9 · #**278** Posted **Mar 24, 2012, 5:02 PM**

Thanks for the updates, youngbloodz. It also looks like they're finally beginning work on University Mall. I'm curious to see what they do there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by youngbloodz

Pensacola Beach officials vote yes on $25 million overpass plan
The Santa Rosa Island Authority approved the measure 5-1, but many residents call the $25 million plan too expensive.

View full sizeAn artist's rendering of a $25 million plan for elevating two major roadways in Pensacola Beach.
PENSACOLA BEACH, Florida -- The Santa Rosa Island Authority, the local governing body of Pensacola Beach, approved by a 5-1 vote a $25 million plan to elevate the intersection of two of the major roads in town to allow pedestrian traffic underneath the roadway.

According to a report in the Pensacola News Journal, however, there are caveats. The SRIA wants to continue to participate in the design phase with Escambia County and maintain a right to explore other options.

The board also voted to explore all funding options for the project. The original proposal to increase the toll on the Bob Sikes Bridge from Gulf Breeze to Pensacola Beach was seen as a last resort.

The proposal would elevate the intersection of Via de Luna Drive and Fort Pickens Road, the two major roadways through

Many opponents of the plan showed up for last night's meeting, saying it was too expensive. One man, a crossing guard at Pensacola Beach Elementary school, got loud applause when he offered to help pedestrians cross the busy streets in the SRIA would give him the $25 million.

For all the exciting developments in the city, I don't really understand this. It seems like they could improve pedestrian access and safety in a far less-expensive manner than a $25 million overpass. Anyone know what this thing is going to look like?

youngbloodz · #**279** Posted **Mar 25, 2012, 7:07 AM**

Here's what the overpass plan will look like

http://sria-fla.com/pdf/pbmasterplan.pdf

youngbloodz · #**280** Posted **Mar 25, 2012, 7:09 AM**

Maricarmen Josephs, 33, is the winner of the Pensacola Business Challenge.

Josephs will receive a business start-up package valued at more than $50,000.

Josephs said she has plans to open a restaurant, Carmen's Lunch Bar in June. She said the restaurant will have an eclectic menu.

The winner was announced this afternoon during a ceremony on Palafox Street. Andrew Rothfeder, the director of the Pensacola Business Challenge, and Rishy Studer, the property owner, were on hand to announce the winner.

Here's the website showing everything she will get for the new business

www.pensacolabusinesschallenge.com