City Hall / Development
Palafox Finishes Strong, Airport Lands $9 Million Federal Grant
Mayor Reeves announces a small-business ribbon-cutting this Friday as the New Palafox Project nears its incentivized completion date, while Pensacola International secures its largest single grant award to date.
- Mayor D.C. Reeves opened his Tuesday morning press conference with two pieces of good news: the New Palafox Project is on track to finish on time and on budget, and the Pensacola International Airport has been awarded a $9 million federal grant—the largest single state or federal grant the airport has ever received.
New Palafox: A Soft Opening This Friday
Fencing has already started coming down along Palafox Street, and the city is using the moment to host a small-business ribbon-cutting at 3 p.m. this Friday, May 23, at the Romana Street intersection. The event is intentionally framed around the businesses that endured five months of construction.
“We wanted to make sure that everybody’s aware that the street is open and that these businesses get that return for people to be able to come back.” — Mayor D.C. Reeves
What Friday’s ribbon cutting is—and isn’t. It’s a soft opening to honor local businesses, not a full reopening of the street. Palafox will remain pedestrian-only until May 31, with fencing still in place at the Garden Street and Main Street ends. Fencing is also migrating to the cross streets—Romana, Intendencia, and Zaragoza—as crews shift to side street paving. Government Street is being saved for last because FPL’s utility cuts extended that paving footprint all the way east to Seville Quarter.
- A more formal dedication with a plaque ceremony is planned for the America 250 Fourth of July weekend. Details on the date and time will be released closer to the event.
On Track for the Incentivized Bonus
Strategic Initiatives Project Officer Adrianne Walker confirmed the contractor is on track to meet the May 24 incentivized completion date, which triggers a 10% bonus. The city has discretion over when to reopen to vehicles, and chose to extend the pedestrian-only period through May 31—a decision that does not affect the contractor’s bonus eligibility since the construction plans themselves will be complete.
- The northernmost block at Romana Street is now open for pedestrian movement.
- Walker’s goal as of Tuesday morning was to have the entire Romana block open by the end of the day.
- Side street paving on Romana, Intendencia, and Zaragoza will mill and resurface to the next block—Jefferson and Baylen—with brick pavers and stormwater improvements tapering off before the full next block.
- Government Street paving extends from Palafox east through Jefferson all the way to Seville Quarter, following FPL’s utility cut footprint.
Bottom line for pedestrians: Between now and May 31, wherever fencing is down, you can walk freely in the street. The Garden and Main Street ends will remain fenced until the 31st. Vehicular traffic on Government Street is expected to resume after May 31, pending final signage and maintenance-of-transportation setup.
Airport Lands Largest Single ATP Grant in Its History
The other major announcement: DOT and the FAA notified the city Monday morning that Pensacola International Airport has been selected to receive $9 million under the Airport Terminal Program, part of the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Reeves called it the largest single state or federal grant the airport has received to date. The grant will fund 8,400 square feet of expanded security checkpoint space, public restrooms, and family travel improvements as part of the broader terminal modernization program…