City Administrator Discusses Baptist Demolition, CRA Expansion, Bayfront Redesign and More

Pensacola, FL (NewsRadio 92.3) -- Pensacola City Administrator David Stafford joined Pensacola's Morning News Thursday with a wide-ranging update — leading with news that demolition of the old Baptist Hospital towers is finally getting underway and closing with positive reviews of the newly reopened Palafox Street.

Baptist Hospital Demolition

The long-awaited demolition of the old Baptist Hospital towers in downtown Pensacola begins within a week. Crews will start on tower one and work floor by floor through the connector and tower buildings on the north side of campus near Avery Street. Debris will be hauled from Reno toward E Street. Stafford says a significant amount of internal remediation work has already been completed inside the buildings — clearing materials that could not simply be demolished. Clearing the site has been a priority for Mayor Reeves going back several years.

Stafford also says CRA Chair Delarian Wiggins is bringing an item before the board next week to kick off the public engagement process for eventual development of the site. He deferred to Wiggins on the specifics — saying it is his proposal to present.

CRA Expansion

The Pensacola CRA is also discussing a significant expansion of its footprint at Monday's board meeting. A consultant has been engaged to develop a plan and the Monday item includes a public engagement component. Stafford says the property tax constitutional amendment heading to November's ballot is adding urgency to the conversation — CRA bonds are backed by future property tax revenue and the legal implications of a dramatic reduction in that revenue remain unresolved. The city is waiting on data from the property appraiser to understand the full impact.

Bayfront Redesign — Public Input Tuesday

The city is seeking public input on the Bayfront Parkway redesign at a meeting Tuesday June 16th from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the main library on Spring Street. The project complements a Florida Department of Transportation shared use path design that will provide a walking and biking trail along Bayfront Parkway — with the city's component focused on trees, shrubs, and other amenities. Completion of the shared use path is projected for summer 2028.

New Hires

The city has hired a new economic development director — pending city council approval at next Thursday's meeting — and a new assistant parks director. The economic development director position has been vacant since the previous director moved up within the organization.

Palafox Street

Stafford says the response to the reopened Palafox Street has been overwhelmingly positive — no incidents at the intersections drivers were worried about and strong feedback from businesses and visitors alike. He says the project came in on time and under budget and is well positioned for the next 40 to 50 years. Work on the cross streets continues and is expected to run through the end of the year.

Data Centers

Stafford confirmed the city has received no inquiries about data centers within city limits and says the mayor has made clear it is not something the city is actively seeking. He said the question of whether current land development code would even support a data center inside city limits is one he could not answer on the spot.