[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6322546,"mediaKeyId","2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d","parentId",2347278,"title","Skating community urges year‑round ice; Pensacola Bay Center outlines $10M renovation plan and ice‑season work","audioSeconds",4922,"startMs",308000,"endMs",5230000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d&start=308&end=5230","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d/thumbnail_308000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6322546/Escambia-County/Florida/Skating-community-urges-yearround-ice-Pensacola-Bay-Center-outlines-10M-renovation-plan-and-iceseason-work","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322546-a4e525bfdb5adafabbb12df0df364401/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210745&Signature=ZjoQRMuCdnt7AC7Ek6wJ5nUoKLOWijU6UyHTG71p2F7kU1K7oZMu8APJVk7X99HrRkHioHWPZK0Lh6KMIkqJ8ywQcJYEwvZ4pgmV4a6eZAnqyhtQXHImQKnV2TABiU43AkFWWUjXhh-jL~SCefFVcrQUHfzFPD89tFxoj1f-VauLRNf8aLlun4rTQk3Rf4iLiH0xKCuITb7UdZP3CBNJ6SA3eiSSaIWSHVFzn-X~2~48TTk0MzWQwcqdjY1Mc4GCbe~Q1I0BhTWkGZEujECAZlAnNzZ0u-wjS2c26lLwpMjAy2-q4UfgT5jExe61Ds2FO4UuLH5RaHWkvDD3V5n3nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Escambia County, FL","date","2025-02-19T11:04:28Z","article","Speakers from the local ice‑sports community told the Tourist Development Council on Feb. 18 that lack of predictable, year‑round ice at the Pensacola Bay Center forces teams and competitions to travel out of the area and costs local tourism dollars.

Sharon Gobert, a 25‑year Escambia County resident who represents the Greater Pensacola Figure Skating Club, said the region currently lacks consistent ice and that contract constraints at the Bay Center prevent hosting competitions, camps and tournaments that could bring hotel nights. “We routinely receive tourism inquiries from skaters who need daily ice when they’re traveling,” Gobert said. “There is no ice rink competition for almost 250 miles. We use Pelham, Columbus, Georgia, and Jacksonville for hosting and training when there’s no ice here. We would love to be able to put heads and beds in Escambia County.”

Lindsay Thompson, mother of a 9‑year‑old U10 house hockey player and an adult figure skater, said her team will be staying in 64 hotel rooms in Nashville next month and estimated that hotel spending for their team totaled about $44,000. Thompson added that tournament hotel and registration spending are significant and that more predictable ice would encourage teams and families to stay locally.

Michael Capps, general manager for ASM Global at the Pensacola Bay Center, provided the council an operational update. Capps said the ice‑flyers lease extension will be on the Board of County Commissioners agenda and that weekday and weekend attendance for ice events has grown — he said the ice program averaged more than 5,500 tickets sold this season. The Bay Center manager described a $10 million capital‑improvement allocation already approved for the venue: roughly $6 million has been spent to date on improvements (restrooms, locker rooms, training rooms and other upgrades), and the remaining $4 million is expected to be allocated over the next two years as projects proceed.

Capps said the Bay Center plans to close (non‑ice season activities permitting) for July through September to remove and replace the concrete floor and install a new ice plant, and that the venue will replace its rental‑skate inventory to increase capacity. He said building owners currently cannot afford a second ice sheet but that the renovations and operational changes aim to better serve increasing demand.

Council members and staff noted that the Bay Center capital allocation came from the TDC’s fifth‑cent restricted fund (a dedicated TDT penny) and urged coordination on scheduling, funding and outreach to maximize the tourism return on the renovations. No formal action or funding change was taken at the meeting; staff said the ice‑flyers lease extension will be considered by the Board of County Commissioners at its upcoming meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","TDC 02/18/25","oneSentenceSummary","Local skaters urged the Tourist Development Council to support a year‑round ice surface to attract tournaments and hotel room nights; Bay Center staff outlined a $10 million renovation plan and a July–September ice‑plant replacement.","taxTitle","Escambia County, Florida","taxId",12773,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6322551,"Tourist-development fund balance about $30.4M; council reviews reserve policy and seeks clearer application checklist",2061,799000,2860000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d&start=799&end=2860","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d/thumbnail_799000.jpg","/articles/6322551/Escambia-County/Florida/Tourist-development-fund-balance-about-304M-council-reviews-reserve-policy-and-seeks-clearer-application-checklist","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322551-fe1eebe7a53e32e00faa2259b879a5eb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210745&Signature=hygcQo7ASva~HD~0DyuTJ025YVKPVUFE1CtwpNtqEVDwugXOak2brH0apOPK9BgYnXQO83q6mfRmZIjMuiLvhYMGTwMNZ2TjIxPwqO1tf80Ofkm8lHUCU-fXBhFeta-SToKvJL5Oj-3AGt7uZebWg7MtjutwGMZ~5P4qWm7PivKsJUVme1TDHbksyKNj8tZJvL5hLAAZy1doLKoOFZYUY2CNKksiCeIncB49LZt4nk5kirFfrtkXASysMMYEh2zJenYWe1AakxKnXyMH1QNghgIRKvUHzny8O-A7XK8s85GYW6QjtMJ8-jqPLkBBTcEbj~tIRqCYmi3YJBAG~F9cMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Escambia County budget staff told the Tourist Development Council on Feb. 18 that the tourist-development tax fund has a cash balance of about $30.4 million as of February 2025 and that fiscal‑year 2025 collections through January were down roughly $203,825 compared with the previous year.

Jeremy Paglieligan, senior budget analyst, presented the monthly status and said expenses through Jan. 25 totaled roughly $4,343,500. He also confirmed that interest earned on the TDT fund is recognized and remains in the TDT fund rather than reverting to the general fund.

The council reviewed a TDT restricted-marketing reserve plan, which outlines how recurring fund balances in fund 108 will be allocated: 50% carryover of the recurring balance, 25% to the unified budget operations, 15% to a unified-budget restricted reserve (cap $5,000,000) and 10% to a special-event restricted reserve (cap $2,000,000). Staff noted the plan is intended to build reserves to those caps and pause funding to a reserve once it reaches its cap.

Council members asked clarifying questions about interest income, which budget staff estimated had been “over $1 million” in a prior year and potentially closer to $2 million in another prior year, but staff declined to give a precise projection because market returns vary.

The council also discussed the application and reimbursement process for organizations seeking TDT grants or miscellaneous appropriations. Staff said applicants must provide financial documentation (profit-and-loss statements, tax returns or equivalent) and that the management-and-budget office currently verifies that applicants have the matching funds identified on their request. Staff and the clerk’s office agreed to work together to develop a clearer checklist and a quick-reference guide for applicants that will list required documents and common prohibitions (for example, staff noted public funds may not be used to purchase alcohol).

Members emphasized better upfront verification of matching funds or other financial backing to reduce late-stage problems and speed reimbursements. Council directed management-and-budget staff and an internal contact (Melanie) to lead the work with the clerk’s office on the checklist and application clarifications.

No formal vote was taken on the policy document at the meeting; staff described the item as informational and directed that any needed clarifying edits be followed up before future meetings.","Escambia County budget staff reported a TDT cash balance of about $30.4 million and a slight year-over-year decline in collections through January. The Tourist Development Council reviewed a reserve allocation policy and directed staff to work with the clerk to produce a clearer application and reimbursement checklist for grantees.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6322556,"Tourism council backs $750,000 recommendation and orders economic-impact study for Chappie James plaza",2209,2872000,5081000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d&start=2872&end=5081","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d/thumbnail_2872000.jpg","/articles/6322556/Escambia-County/Florida/Tourism-council-backs-750000-recommendation-and-orders-economic-impact-study-for-Chappie-James-plaza","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322556-337d84b882f0e522cc18badfa3f58301/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210745&Signature=f8t39~5IkqLD6ieju248CO3uVjvwI4OFglRaxQ2vKfsbLHqDdFB467-52FsNPIe43FXEludL6mqYgka6CzgiqGuRS~Af7EzV7SXVzoexXMAhTA9KdgKrXYRDAL-APyTmtYgf0Lf5gqhlVnzOsb0GdK4Ez~KlBSZCCJCQOZuM3FQ1WR4XMkLe7eST7mSlcb-YE5OdOwEP3CImWThml74whn3xziB7Otsg4kZG2z1P7djoKwcdFXozeJxNDFyo5lGCARWc65FHc~kuefk-LVdOAQjoyvOPGsqUcprpVty3Y-6jNnvkOUDGv4SoJsVnolyRUhQsTkeGZKy2j4qTSa7iJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Escambia County Tourist Development Council voted 8–1 on Feb. 18 to forward a recommendation to the Board of County Commissioners to allocate $750,000 for the Chappie James Memorial Plaza and to commission an independent economic-impact study to quantify the project’s tourism impact.

The measure followed more than an hour of discussion about whether the tourist-development tax (TDT) may be used for construction. Council member James Reeves introduced the idea of increasing the council’s prior $750,000 recommendation to the $1 million the project’s organizers later requested, saying the original amount had been set years earlier and costs have risen. “If we’re gonna approve it, a motion to make it $1,000,000 would probably be in order,” Reeves said when he moved to increase the recommendation.

That motion to increase the recommendation to $1,000,000 failed on a roll call vote. The council then considered a separate motion to rescind the board’s earlier $750,000 recommendation. During debate that motion was amended so the council would (a) forward a $750,000 recommendation to the county commission and (b) commission an independent economic-impact study to inform any further action. The amended motion passed 8–1.

Supporters of the plaza, including resident and project representative Chris Dosev, said rising construction costs made the larger request necessary. “At this point, we’ve raised $1,300,000,” Dosev said. “And so in addition to the $1.3, the $1,000,000 would cap off what we would need to complete the project.”

Opponents on the council cited a recent attorney general letter and the governing statute’s enumerated construction uses for TDT, arguing a plaza may not fall under eligible construction items. A council member who identified himself as using state hotel-market data said, for example, the plaza would need to generate tens of thousands of incremental room nights over its life to justify the TDT investment. Council members repeatedly recommended clarifying the ownership and public‑facility status before approving construction funding.

Budget staff and the deputy county attorney urged the council to commission an independent economic-impact study to help the county commission determine whether spending TDT on the project would “directly and primarily” support tourism. Staff estimated the cost of such an analysis at approximately $3,500 to $5,000.

The council’s action leaves the $750,000 recommendation and the study request to be transmitted to the Board of County Commissioners, where commissioners may accept, modify or reject the recommendation. Several council members and staff emphasized the county commission retains final appropriation authority.

Votes at a glance:
- Motion to increase recommendation from $750,000 to $1,000,000 (mover: James Reeves; second: Commissioner Hoffberger). Outcome: failed. (Roll-call recorded in transcript; motion did not carry.)
- Motion to rescind the board’s prior $750,000 recommendation, amended to forward a $750,000 recommendation and commission an independent economic-impact study (mover: David Baer; second: Matish Patel). Outcome: passed 8–1 (roll-call vote).

The council also asked that staff coordinate with the city of Pensacola and the project’s organizers to clarify ownership and maintenance commitments, which county attorneys said were relevant to the attorney general’s review.

The matter was expected to appear before the Board of County Commissioners on its next meeting agenda.","After debate over whether tourist-development tax can fund construction, the Escambia County Tourist Development Council voted 8–1 to forward a $750,000 recommendation to the county commission and to commission an independent economic-impact study before further action.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6322542,"Visit Pensacola reports record TDT collections, 2.5M visitors and $1.3B in direct spending for 2024",347,3537000,3884000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d&start=3537&end=3884","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2347278-32234728f8e0e460ed38e9bdca657c0d/thumbnail_3537000.jpg","/articles/6322542/Escambia-County/Florida/Visit-Pensacola-reports-record-TDT-collections-25M-visitors-and-13B-in-direct-spending-for-2024","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6322542-7b1fe6e88730db078a201bc107642ea1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771210745&Signature=RZIVE3yDRZQir~7UdqW6B9uDaAHr9zCmdc9r3uG6FEdZI5TwJ6h6teLpYK-DB6BZUiue6BSHLAggHCKcbFYkVVUPhgJyIGMN4fBLKMhN6SBq73GtU34sin8uWoy~Rai05NUf2qO-IGdatAYeBcXqi9aJ~vIcAXLg~T8bokLonuG8NFOW1p0VhNAqfqpgt6DLEILmaamWYm2XDrs50NWm1vSxn3Pvb98DNMYOihjDeculfm9KdAS4U7oubGAIp2kX5FkgDlF5by9onqccRCTwpt0lF3jwfex1Glap-HJj92i-VJ12D~bfi-SdGYpFLcwzzqrVpXjnlwG0glTs2qmIFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Visit Pensacola presented its fiscal‑year 2024 annual report to the Tourist Development Council on Feb. 18, reporting increases in visitation, lodging and taxable collections.

Darren (representing Visit Pensacola) told the council the county attracted approximately 2.5 million visitors in the last fiscal year and generated roughly 2.5 million paid room nights. The organization reported record TDT collections of about $22 million in 2024, direct visitor spending of about $1.3 billion and a total economic impact exceeding $2 billion. The presenter also said visitor‑generated local tax revenue totaled about $65 million and that the tourism sector supports an estimated 18,700 jobs in the county.

Visit Pensacola highlighted digital and earned‑media campaign metrics: website users exceeded 3.8 million (up 34%), the organization produced more than 400 partner‑related content items, and a layered marketing campaign they described as “The Way to Beach” produced trackable results linked to an estimated 265,000 room nights and more than 64,000 travelers exposed to campaign messaging. The agency also cited a spike in earned media and social engagement related to an unusual snow event earlier in the year; that coverage generated millions of impressions and an estimated earned‑media value reported by Visit Pensacola.

Staff and council members discussed campaign conversions, how Visit Pensacola tracks room‑night results and the importance of partnering on direct‑flight markets and meeting/convention leads. The Visit Pensacola representative said the organization booked 12 leads representing about $111 million in potential economic impact for future events and that it hosted multiple press trips and media placements to boost exposure.

Council members thanked Visit Pensacola for the presentation and asked technical questions about how web conversions are counted and how the organization verifies its room‑night estimates. No formal action was taken; the presentation served as the annual report back to the council.","Visit Pensacola presented its annual report showing roughly 2.5 million visitors to Escambia County in 2024, record tourist-development-tax collections of about $22 million, nearly $1.3 billion in direct visitor spending and a total economic impact exceeding $2 billion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Skating community urges year‑round ice; Pensacola Bay Center outlines $10M renovation plan and ice‑season work

Tourist-development fund balance about $30.4M; council reviews reserve policy and seeks clearer application checklist

Tourism council backs $750,000 recommendation and orders economic-impact study for Chappie James plaza

Visit Pensacola reports record TDT collections, 2.5M visitors and $1.3B in direct spending for 2024