The City of Pensacola and the General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Memorial Foundation are moving toward a fresh framework for the long-stalled memorial plaza at Wayside Park—but the two sides are not yet working from the same document, and the key sticking points that have shadowed this project for years remain unresolved.
- Background: General James, a Pensacola native, made history as the first African American four-star general in the history of the United States Armed Forces, serving the nation through three wars. The planned memorial plaza at Wayside Park—adjacent to the bridge that already bears his name—would include a central statue, a static display of a demilitarized F-4C Phantom II fighter jet, interpretive signage and educational displays, and landscaping and lighting befitting a public memorial of this significance.
A Long Time Coming
The idea for a Chappie James plaza at the new bridge landing emerged locally around 2018 while the replacement Pensacola Bay Bridge was under construction. The General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr. Memorial Foundation launched formal fundraising in fall 2021 with a goal of approximately $2 million.
Early momentum: The City of Pensacola pledged $250,000—including local option sales tax funds—and granted the Foundation exclusive rights to build the plaza on a portion of Wayside Park at the Pensacola bridge landing.
- In May 2022, the Foundation unveiled public renderings of an ambitious design: a 10-foot bronze statue of Gen. James, a restored full-size F-4 Phantom II fighter jet similar to those he flew in Vietnam, and an 80-foot flagpole flying a large American flag. The statue would overlook downtown Pensacola and Pensacola Bay.
- The Foundation tapped nationally known sculptor Ed Dwight—himself a former Air Force test pilot and the first Black astronaut candidate—to create the statue. Foundation board chair Cris Dosev predicted completion by late 2022 with a dedication in early 2023.
Those deadlines came and went.
In July 2023, Florida officials formally dedicated the new Pensacola Bay Bridge as the “General Daniel ‘Chappie’ James Jr. Bridge” and held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the plaza at its foot. But the groundbreaking was symbolic. The Foundation didn’t have the money to start the project.
What Happened to the Original Agreement?
The City and the Foundation executed a Stewardship Agreement on January 31, 2024, which contained a hard deadline. The deal would terminate on June 30, 2025, unless the Foundation provided documentation of full funding—covering both construction and a minimum of three years of maintenance and upkeep. Read 2024 Agreement.
- To close a persistent funding gap, the Foundation went to Escambia County in early 2025 seeking $1 million in Tourist Development Tax money. County commissioners ultimately approved $750,000 in TDT funds plus $125,000 from other county sources—but conditioned the money on restructuring the City-Foundation agreement so the City would own the plaza and monument outright—conditions required by law for the county to use tax dollars.
The June 30, 2025 deadline arrived. The conditions weren’t met. The Stewardship Agreement automatically terminated. As of mid-2025, the plaza existed only on paper and in renderings.
Two Documents, Two Visions
Here’s where things stand now—and why they’re more complicated than a simple restart…