West Main a New Neighborhood in Downtown Project Report Pensacola, Florida
West Main A New Neighborhood in Downtown Project Report Pensacola, Florida Executive Summary A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD IN DOWNTOWN PENSACOLA As one of the oldest settlements in North America, Pensacola did not come upon its privileged location by accident. As celebrated by the famed naturalist E. O. Wilson in his autobiography, the confluence of sea, sand, and city near the end of Palafox street provides all the makings of a thriving ecosystem, not just for flora and fauna, but for humans as well, But, like most American urban waterfronts—traditionally the location of freight terminals and waste discharge—it has taken many centuries for Pensacola’s downtown coast to arrive at the point where can reach its full potential. Now, freed from the burdens of shipping and industry—including an ECUA wastewa- ter treatment plant - a large peninsula just west of Palafox and 19 adjacent acres can be properly redeveloped as a mixed-use neighborhood of shops, restaurants, homes, and hotels, all anchored by three great amenities: the large public Community Maritime Park, the popular minor-league Blue Wahoos Stadium (Fetterman Field), and historic Bruce Beach to its immediate west, soon to be refurbished into Pensacola’s only downtown, swimmable, white-sand beach. The Study Area The plan detailed in the pages ahead looks comprehensively at these two main parcels— the Maritime Park peninsula and the ECUA parcel—and also considers key surrounding properties that will benefit from and, contribute to, their redevelopment. These include, among others: • The area of Nick’s Boathouse, which separates (but could connect) Maritime Park and Bruce Beach; • The largely empty block just north of Maritime Park, prime for redevelopment; and • The block-sized parking lot in front of City Hall, which interrupts the important walk to the site from Palafox street.
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