Development Plans & Strategies

Downtown Retail Strategy
Stan Eichelbaum, president, Marketing Developments, Inc. presented the retail strategy for Downtown Pensacola to the DIB and downtown business leaders on December 6. Currently home to the largest concentration of local, independent retail in the region, retail activity accounts for a very visible and viable part of commerce downtown. However, downtown has experienced some difficulty in its efforts to attract many of the national specialty stores that have located at other large lifestyle centers in Baldwin County and Destin. Likewise, maintaining and growing the strong collection of quality independent retail already in the downtown has become increasingly challenging due to the aggressive recruitment underway from these new competitors. Marketing Developments, Inc. is a think tank, consulting, feasibility, and consumer research group with full-service marketing agency capabilities. The firm conducts project productivity studies and feasibility analysis on retailing and entertainment projects and develops comprehensive consumer marketing strategies and programs, occupancy-promoting initiatives and other services for major retailers, financial institutions, retail development and management companies and government agencies worldwide.

Download the Retail Strategy presentation (pdf)

Historical District Master Plan
The Pensacola historic district and the collection of historic buildings owned by the University of West Florida are extraordinary assets for the City of Pensacola and the region. This Master Plan provides a means of coordinating private and public investment to capitalize on those assets to increase the Region's economic and tax bases, as well as the quality of life for residents of the Historic District, the City, and the Region. The Plan was developed in an open, public process - engaging hundreds of people - to create a vision for the future that has broad consensus and support. The plan was funded in joint cooperation between City of Pensacola, University of West Florida, Institute for Machine & Human Cognition (IHMC), and West Florida Preservation, Inc.

Belmont/Devilliers Revitalization Plan
The Belmont DeVilliers (West Hill) neighborhood, a long-standing center of Pensacola's African-American community, has undergone a revitalization project that is giving its four-block core a new look. The streetscape project brings new sidewalks, historic street lighting, landscaping, and brick crosswalks to a neighborhood that is one of the city's most historic. The next step in the continued revitalization of the area is the Land Use Planning process that has involved residents, property owners and businesses in the area to develop the guide for the future of their neighborhood. During the 3 month process, neighborhood businesses, residents and property owners, with the assistance of HHI Consultants of Orlando and CRA staff, have identified opportunities and issues related to land use/development patterns, transportation, traffic management, infrastructure, parking, streetscapes, safety, open/public spaces and redevelopment initiatives. The CRA, with Neighborhood input, will work to develop a Belmont DeVilliers Redevelopment Work Program to spell out the priorities and implementation steps necessary to achieve this plan.

Vince Whibbs, Sr. Community Maritime Park
The park represents an exciting new chapter for Pensacola's waterfront. The Community Maritime Park is a public/private venture planned for the 27.5 acres of publicly owned property immediately south of Pensacola City Hall on Pensacola Bay. It will include a 3,500-seat multi-purpose stadium, a conference/continuing education center, a maritime museum, and a mixed-use development including retail and commercial space.

For more information on this exciting plan contact Ed Spears, acting executive director at espears@ci.pensacola.fl.us.

Port of Pensacola Master Plan
This deepwater port master plan embraces long- and short-term goals for the Port’s growth, as does recently completed Port Business Strategic Analysis. The Port Business Strategy Analysis Committee studied and developed alternatives for business expansion opportunities at the Port of Pensacola, and made recommendations relating to future port business opportunities.

For more information, and to see the results of the Strategic Analysis, go to www.portofpensacola.com/upload/images/PDFs/ChairmanReport.pdf

Encouraging mixed-income residential development
A resolution of the Downtown Improvement Board identifying the need to obtain a high quality mixed-income residential development of scale within the downtown area and/or close-in older neighborhoods as a top priority goal
click here to download DIB resolution

Belmont DeVilliers Neighborhood Association Resolution
click here to download the Belmont DeVilliers Neighborhood Association resolution

A resolution of the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority, Pensacola, Florida, identifying the need to obtain a high quality mixed-income residential development of scale within the downtown area and/or close-in older neighborhoods as a goal of the city of Pensacola, Escambia County, Florida and the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority
click here to download the Escambia County Housing Finance Authority resolution

A resolution of the City Council of the city of Pensacola identifying the need to obtain a high quality mixed-income residential development of scale within the downtown area and/or close-in older neighborhoods as a top priority goal of Downtown Improvement Board
click here to download the City Council of the City of Pensacola resolution

A resolution of the Board of County Commissioners for Escambia County, Florida, identifying the need to obtain a high quality mixed-income residential development of scale within the downtown area and/or close-in older neighborhoods as a top priority goal
click here to download the Board of County Commisioners resolution