The path to reopening Bay Bluff Park now leads through the Florida Legislature, but the future of Bay Bluff Park will likely be more nature trails instead of a boardwalk.
The Florida Senate’s budget proposal includes $2.2 million for Conservation Florida to use to preserve Bay Bluffs Park.
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves announced in October he was in talks with Conservation Florida to preserve Bay Bluffs Park and restore public access to it.
Conservation Florida, a statewide land conservancy dedicated to protecting Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes, worked with Sen. Doug Broxson to request the $2.2 million in funding.
According to the funding initiative request form submitted by Broxson and Conservation Florida, $2 million would be used to fund the removal of the boardwalk and the creation of trails around the bluffs.
“Bay Bluffs Park is an amenity that many Pensacola residents have enjoyed for years,” a description of the project reads in the form. “This project would allow for the removal of areas of the boardwalk that are unsafe while still allowing Pensacola residents to enjoy the natural beauty of the bluffs.”