Studer Community Institute

Viewpoint: Is Pensacola's downtown vibrant?

May 12, 2015
/ Jim Homyak
/ economy

I recently read an article on how San Diego graded on "12 Strategies That Will Transform Your City." These strategies come from John Karras, founder of Urban Scale, thus I thought it might be a good idea to see how our downtown measures up. Let’s see how we are doing.

1. TURN ONE-WAY STREETS INTO TWO-WAY STREETS

Good one to start off with for Pensacola. Over the last 10 years, three of our major downtown corridors have been converted to two-way streets. Palafox, Spring and Baylen streets have all been changed, and Palafox was named one of the best downtown streets by the American Planning Association for 2013. It’s hard to argue this one. PASS WITH AN A+.

2. ESTABLISH A REGULARLY OCCURRING PUBLIC EVENT, SHOWCASING DOWNTOWN MERCHANTS, MUSIC AND FOOD

Another easy win for downtown is the growth of Gallery Night. This event draws thousands and is considered one of the most important success stories for our downtown. And don’t forget our Pelican Drop held each New Year’s Eve and our festivals, which draw thousands of locals and visitors from all over the Southeast. PASS WITH AN A+.

3. CREATE MORE LAND FOR DEVELOPMENT (landfill into a body of water, remove land from a floodplain, take land back from freeway, etc.)

Over the last five years, two major governmental properties have come on line for private development: the Community Maritime Park and the ECUA Property. The Maritime Park recently opened a new, four-story office building, bringing hundreds downtown every day to work and there is a new mixed-use building under construction. With the recent purchase of the ECUA property by downtown rainmaker, Quint Studer, it won’t be long before this property comes alive. ARE WE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT? ANOTHER PASS WITH A.

4. MAKE UNDERUTILIZED PUBLIC LAND AVAILABLE FOR PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPMENT

OK, maybe we are not all the way there yet. Although we have had success with the maritime park property and ECUA site, the City Council and Community Redevelopment Agency have done a poor job of offering city-owned properties to the private sector for development. Last year an RFP put out by the CRA (for the Hawkshaw property) was far too difficult and restrictive for several qualified developers to respond to, delaying needed residential development for at least another year or two. Recently the City issued a new RFP for the same site, but it remains to be seen if they can get a deal done. The city needs to put together an inventory of properties and prepare a standard, well-written RFP that developers can work through reasonable due diligence to bring vacant, underutilized sites to life and on the tax roll. GRADE D, AS THERE HAS BEEN SOME EFFORT, BUT THERE IS MUCH MORE TO BE DONE.

5. CONSOLIDATE REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS INTO A SINGLE DOWNTOWN LOCATION

Most of our agencies are located in very close proximity and let’s face it; it’s a small downtown, got to go with a PASS BY DEFAULT WITH C.

6. CREATE A PERMANENT PUBLIC MARKET

You can’t argue with success, as Palafox Market has grown to a very active, well-attended event. Held outside with no cover and minimal cost, this Saturday morning event draws hundreds to downtown. That said, there is a big port warehouse building sitting empty that would be a perfect fit for a grand downtown marketplace, visitors center and downtown tourism hub for all to enjoy. PASS WITH B, OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE MORE AND THERE IS A LOT OF UPSIDE ON THIS ONE.

7. OPEN A DOWNTOWN SATELLITE CAMPUS OF A LOCAL UNIVERSITY

This one also comes with mixed reviews, as both the University of West Florida and Pensacola State College have a downtown presence. However, we are lacking a large-scale educational campus. Will Quint Studer, the ECUA property and higher education come to the rescue on this one? We will have to wait and see. PASS WITH C.

8. BUILD A STREETCAR LINE CONNECTING YOUR DOWNTOWN TO ADJACENT URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS

This strategy may be a little unfair for a smaller community like Pensacola, as it would be very difficult for our size to support this type of major investment. However, we should ask, are we doing everything we can to connect our downtown to our neighborhoods including Old East Hill and Belmont-DeVilliers, including bike paths, better sidewalks, landscaping improvement. The city needs to make this a priority. FAIL-F.

9. CREATE AN AWESOME DOWNTOWN PLAYGROUND TO MAKE YOUR DOWNTOWN MORE KID FRIENDLY AND FAMILY FRIENDLY.

Today we fail, but hope is on the way thanks to our local Rotarians. The park under construction on the Maritime Park waterfront is impressive and will make a real impact for families and downtown visitors. PASS WITH AN H, FOR HELP ON THE WAY. 10. CREATE A BRANDED DOWNTOWN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT Leave it to the private sector. During the last 10 years the South Palafox district has come alive with downtown entertainment and dining venues. Palafox is active daily with foot traffic, alive on the weekends, and more is on the way. Retail has benefited and balance is in place. But let’s give the City its due. Some 15 years ago a sizable investment was made in streetscape improvements, landscaping and walkways along on Palafox. At the time, shops were boarded up and downtown was void of activity. This is a good example of private sector investment following public improvements, even if it takes a little time. PASS A.

11. ESTABLISH MAXIMUM PARKING STANDARD FOR NEW DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OR AT LEAST REMOVE MINIMUM PARKING REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW BUILDINGS

Recently the City Council acted on this by reducing parking requirements for new development and redevelopment of existing structures. The results are not in yet, but this will help development. In addition the DIB is doing a good job of managing the public parking lots and educating the public that downtown has ample parking for visitors. PASS B.

12. SET UP A BIKE SHARE PROGRAM

As we don’t have one, looks like a failure on this front. However, I'm not sure that a city of our size is ready for this idea. That said, we need to make our streets and connectors more bike-friendly. In addition, Bayfront Parkway needs to be redesigned with larger walkways and bike paths providing connectivity for waterfront access from Chase Street west all the way to the Maritime Park. FAIL-F LOTS TO DO ON THIS FRONT. How about this: We received only two F’s and one D with a lot of A’s. Not bad for our downtown as we outscored San Diego’s grade of six pass and six fail. Was I being too generous? I don’t think so. Good job to our community leaders, government officials and the private sector for getting us this far. It’s only going to get better. Jim Homyak is a former downtown resident, a downtown business owner and a member of the Downtown Improvement Board.

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Viewpoint: Is Pensacola's downtown vibrant?

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