Last night, the Escambia County Commission took a significant step toward enhancing local sports facilities and creating more tourism assets.
In a unanimous 5-0 vote, the commissioners approved $25 million in TDT funding to expand and upgrade John R. Jones Park.
- Additionally, commissioners approved $2 million to support the University of West Florida (UWF) Stadium Construction project, to be paid from TDT Public Facility reserves funding. The Tourist Development Council had previously approved both projects at its April 15 meeting.
Commissioners Debate District Priorities
Once again, the commissioners came together for a project outside their individual districts.
During the discussion, Commission Chair Mike Kohler expressed initial hesitation about supporting the project due to the lack of multi-use fields in his own district, but ultimately voted in favor.
- “It’s hard for me to support 20 turf fields when there’s not one multi-use field in district two,” Kohler noted, but added, “I’m going to support it because I think the county needs things all over the county.”
Commissioner Steven Barry, a strong advocate for the project, pointed out that the return on investment would be quick, stating, “The ROI on this is something we can deploy relatively quickly…and we’re going to see the impact of it relatively soon.”
Tourism and Economic Impact
The commissioners emphasized the project’s importance for diversifying the county’s tourism economy. Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger noted, “It adds another spoke in the wheel of everything that makes Escambia County great. And it’s great to have a win for the community and the economy.”…