Pensacola’s mayor and other city leaders are concerned about Escambia County’s plan to spend up to $90 million on an indoor sports facility and improvements to the Pensacola Bay Center , saying the Tourist Development Council’s (TDC) decision to rush the vote on the project left the city without a say in a big decision that will have ramifications for decades.
Escambia’s Board of County Commissioners will now make the final decision on the spending proposal, and city leaders are urging the board to wait until more stakeholders can weigh in on the project that will tie up some county tourism dollars for the next 30 years.
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves talked about the issue during his weekly conference at Pensacola City Hall on Tuesday morning. When asked if he believes the city has enough of a say in such a big project, the mayor said “probably not.”
Big spender: Despite pushback, TDC approves $90 million for indoor sports hall and Bay Center upgrade
The TDC approved the expenditure at its special board meeting on Sept. 9. The council recommended Escambia County issue an up-to-$90 million bond for multiple projects. Most of the bond money would go to an indoor sports facility in Gonzalez, with a price tag of up to $60 million, and at least $30 million in improvements to the Pensacola Bay Center, but the board also approved $1 million to acquire the ocean liner SS United States, and another $350,000 for the pop-culture convention Pensacon, in other tax revenue.