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TDC Special Meeting To Discuss $90 Million Ashton Brosnaham Park Indoor Sports Facility, Bay Center Upgrades
September 8, 2024
The Escambia County Tourism Development Council (TDC) will hold a special meeting Monday to discuss an indoor sports facility costing up to $60 million for Escambia County’s Ashton Brosnaham Park, and $30 million in upgrades for the Pensacola Bay Center.
The meeting will be held at 3 p.m. on Monday, September 9 in Escambia County Commission chambers at 221 Palafox Place.
Those ideas were pitched at a Tourist Development Council meeting on August 29, but decisive action was not taken on either item.
Ashton Brosnaham Indoor Sports Facility
A proposal for an indoor sports facility at the county-owned Ashton Brosnaham Park calls for a building that’s 100,000 square foot, including 73,000 square feet of open floor space that would be large enough to host eight basketball courts that could be converted into 16 volleyball courts with support space, or it could be used as large exhibition hall for other types of events.
Other key takeaways on the proposed facility:
- 14 acres of the park is flat, open, undeveloped and already zone for recreation
- 700+ paved parking spaces in the current design
- Primary support for hardwood sports and related events
- Open common areas would include meeting spaces, viewing areas, vendor space, concessions, retail space
- Second floor walking track and viewing area
- Open to the public for recreation, will also host tournaments and events
- Collaboration with Escambia County Public Schools on access and utilization
- Community use of facility on non-tournament dates
- Projected operating deficit offset by ~$37 million in economic impact per year
- Projected new tax revenues of ~$2.7 million per year
- Total project cost range: $48 – $61 million
“It’s a tried and proven location; it doesn’t get any better than the SEC,” Escambia County Parks and Recreation Director Michael Rhodes said The Park has hosted the 2024 SEC Women’s Soccer Tournament and will host it again this year on November 3-10. “We are willing to grow that, and we want to grow that and make that (Ashton Brosnaham Park) the true sports destination in Escambia County. Which we feel it’s already one its way.”
Rhodes said the school district has expressed a willingness to provide property for second roadway into the facility that would also benefit current soccer programs that have 700-800 youth players annually.
“It’s in a growing area in our community,” Rhodes added as he touted Ashton Brosnaham of 10 Mile Road as the perfect location. “This project can be a win-win for everybody…and this is something that will stand the test of time.”
A feasibility study funded by Pensacola Sports came in at 155 pages, but TDC members only saw a 12-page presentation at their August meeting.
Pensacola Bay Center
A plan to spend $43 million, with $30 million coming from a bond issue by the TDT, was also presented.
The upgrades would modernize the aging facility and add more seating for events like concerts.
What’s next?
TDC member Jim Reeves made motion to approve a $90 million bond issue for the sports facility and Bay Center, but no vote was taken. A substitute motion by council members Mitesh Patel called for special meeting on both proposals, and that meeting was later set for September 9.
The Escambia County Tourist Development Council makes recommendations for final decisions by the Board of County Commissioners. It is anticipated that a TDC bond issue would be repayed from TDC funds.
NorthEscambia.com photos/graphics, click to enlarge.
Comments
13 Responses to “TDC Special Meeting To Discuss $90 Million Ashton Brosnaham Park Indoor Sports Facility, Bay Center Upgrades”
Great way to invest in our youth with a multi sport facility. economic impact will be a huge positive!!
haters hate progress. Keep working for the youth now and for the future Pensacola!
A bad bad idea putting a major sports complex at Ashton Brosnaham, why not consider building such a complex on the property owned by Escambia County off of Muscogee Rd west of International Paper Co. This would also allow for some amenities in the Cantonment area for the citizens of the north end. This location is just a short distance off major highway 29.
Before we build another “pay to play” why not use the money to take care of our homeless veterans and also our Wounded veterans not to mention children doing without meals due to the out of control inflation. Using 90 million of OUR MONEY on this is another waste of good tax payers money. Seems to me all the city council members and county commissioners do is cater to the donors. I ask you is a building worth more than our kids and our veterans?
NO….JUST NO!!!
…as usual , they set these meetings up during the hours when most citizens are working and can’t attend
to express their concerns …
Remember “W” street and Pensacola Blvd, and how it worked out? The county had that complex location, but squandered it. Building a full blown commercial for “profit” complex in a residential neighborhood is going to ruin those homeowners’ peace and tranquil lifestyle. OLF 8 would be a good option.
Ashton Park. Check the official historical documents. How was the land acquired and for what purpose? Was it to bring tourists and be a source of revenue in the middle of a residential area? Or was the purpose for All Escambia citizens regardless of age to enjoy a FREE park.
Many single-family homeowners are already living with nightly flood lights, evening and weekend noise, and traffic. Owners are already inconvenient, and this proposal would take away green space and put a road closer to Country Ostrich and Rhonda.
“Open to the public for recreation”. Adults like the youth want to exercise away from the extreme heat. Can the numerous daily adult walkers use the Second-Floor Walking Track. Please explain.
Before the “private” Gulf Coast Texans soccer club took over the operations from the county, the restrooms were open for walkers and the road to the parking area was not barracked. Not open to the public!
This park is for out-of-town teams and to make money. However, it is the local residents who are inconvenient.
I am addressing the Ashton Brosnaham proposal . This is an area that has two lane roads on EVERY road to this park. Not just the Brosnaham Road but EVERY road leading to it. Ten Mild Road, Chemstand Road, Palafox Street, Guide Lane all TWO lane roads are used daily by the THREE schools that are on Brosnaham Road by these three schools. In addition to all these buses and family vehicles
Florida Power and Light employees and trucks..BIG trucks.. the MANY “cut through vehicles avoid the incredible traffic on Nine Mile Road are filling Ten Mile Road every day. It is incomprehensible that any more traffic could be handled in this area. It is incredible that this is coming up at the same time the County Commission is considering a code change for increasing the level on Motley Court LDR to MDR. Truly, if there was an emergency we would all be dead as all roads would be impassable.
I ask you to consider this before you make a final decision.
You know I am sure, that there are multi acres of land near Navy Federal which is close to the interstate and would provide superior traffic movement.
This is a single family home residential area that already has issues with 3 school traffic, limited sidewalks, train tracks, and road flooding on Ten Mile between the Palafox and the schools. In addition to problems from Ashton Brosnaham park traffic, evening flood lights, evening and weekend noises. People that live in the area have the traffic from the 3 schools and the existing recreation parks inconvenience, but none of the benefits.
Second floor walking track and viewing area
Open to the public for recreation, will also host tournaments and events.
Just like the youth wanting to get away from playing in the heat and other weather conditions, the adult tax paying citizens would enjoy walking inside a building on the “Second floor walking track”. How is that going to work?
If you live or drive by this area regularly, you would many adult tax paying citizens walk in this area in the mornings and evenings. Years ago, the restrooms were open 24/7, but that changed when the “Texans” Soccer Club” private group took control over the fields no longer under the control of citizens. Question – since the existing fields and restrooms are not open to the public, what changes with this new phase.
Has the area of the ball fields at 555 E Nine Mile Rd, Pensacola, FL 32514 been considered? Appears the existing infrastructure will work and have little or no impact on single family homes.
Sorry but this needs to be in the downtown area or close to a interstate exit. The original plan was something like this next to the bay center; Pensacola needs an convention/exhibit/sports center to draw those types of events to tourist areas not out there. 60 million 100,000 sq ft to sit unused most of the time does not seem like a good investment for that location;
Is more seating necessary for the civic center? The 3 concerts a year should not be justification for such an expense of upgrades. To think that the upgrades will increase events is about as far fetched as construction of a baseball field operating in the black.
That’s a horrible idea for Ashton Brosnaham. The traffic situation is a nightmare when those lady soccer players come around. It’s a residential zone that gets congested. Stupid location people. Think about this before you screw everything up.
Oh okay, so let’s build it in the one open field where I launch model rockets with my son. And no one can use unless they’re paying to play. Fantastic. Why do I pay taxes again?