Scott Signs Budget With $3.1 Million For ‘The Bluffs’ In Cantonment

June 14, 2017

Tuesday, the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance announced The Bluffs, Northwest Florida’s Industrial Campus has received $3.1 million in funding for site connectivity and infrastructure improvements as part of the 2017-2018 State of Florida budget signed by Governor Rick Scott last week.

“We are thankful to Governor Scott, Senator Broxson and Representative Frank White for their constant commitment to economic development in our Greater Pensacola region,” said Scott Luth, President & CEO of the FloridaWest Economic Development Alliance. “This infrastructure funding is another piece of the puzzle to make sure we have the assets and workforce needed to recruit new companies to the region.”

The funding, sponsored by Senator Doug Broxson, Representative Frank White and supported by the entire NWFL legislative delegation, will be used for the detailed design and permitting associated with critical site transportation connectivity. This connectivity features a new Industrial Boulevard within the master planned industrial campus. The funding builds upon infrastructure funds received in the 2016-2017 budget which were used by PEDC to develop transportation infrastructure priorities and construction criteria.

Strategic investments, in infrastructure and site development at The Bluffs, aids FloridaWest in their mission to facilitate job creation and capital investment and improve the economic prosperity of residents in the Greater Pensacola community. The Bluffs campus contains more than 1,700 acres of developable land, rail and barge access. The shovel ready site also features all the needed utility infrastructure including electric transmission service, natural gas, reclaimed water from Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, steam production, wastewater treatment ready for manufacturing and industrial customers.

“Access to markets is a vital component of any economic development project,” said Lewis Bear, Chairman of Pensacola Escambia Development Commission. “This funding will ensure The Bluffs provides adequate infrastructure within the campus to allow companies to deliver their products via our region’s rail, roadways, ports or airports.”

The Bluffs which is partnership between the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority, Ascend Performance Materials, Gulf Power and the University of West Florida has the capacity for as many as 60 manufacturing and industrial tenants and could create as many as 15,000 jobs for the community.

The 6,000 acre master-planned development area includes about 1,700 acres of land that can be developed in an area east of Highway 29 bordered by the Escambia River to the east, Becks Lake Road near International Paper to the north, and the University of West Florida to the south. Although located along the Escambia River, most of the property to be developed is at a high elevation, about 100 feet above sea level, and not in a flood plain. Minimally, the project is expected to recruit approximately 10 companies that would occupy more than 3.9 million square feet of building space on 295 acres of land which will be significant to Escambia County and the regional economy.

Comments

3 Responses to “Scott Signs Budget With $3.1 Million For ‘The Bluffs’ In Cantonment”

  1. Bill on June 16th, 2017 3:35 pm

    Seeing so many of these proposed developments/commerce parks/industrial centers/etc fail over my lifetime, who is going to commit to or bring a major company/employer to this facility. Save the money gov, let’s think of something more viable and useful to spend it on

  2. Rodney on June 15th, 2017 12:23 pm

    I agree with WHISPERJET. Building a facility, however modern and accessible, will not guarantee tenants. Downtown Pensacola would be a prime example. Relocating an organization or business to a an updated building located downtown does nothing other than create an empty building at the previous location. Another example is the Garcon Point bridge, which has not generated near the income predicted by the California consulting firm. The list goes on and on…..

  3. WHISPERJET on June 15th, 2017 11:19 am

    …please..before coming out here and destroying thousands of trees and bringing thousands of yards of red clay for roads ,have some businesses lined up to occupy the proposed sights..this is one of the LAST undeveloped areas left in the county, and there are several creeks that are still pretty indefiled…there are developed business complexes already in the county that are still not occupied…

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News