Escambia County commissioners continue Beulah Town Center talks as developers offer single-close $45M option

Escambia County commissioners on Feb. 6 continued negotiations over the county’s proposed sale of the Beulah Town Center site, pressing county staff and the developer for clearer contract terms and a timeline before approving any deal. Commissioners discussed two principal offers from Beulah Town Center — a multi‑phase $50,000,000 approach described in the DPZ regulating plan, and a later single‑closing proposal the developer presented at $43,500,000 that county officials said the developer indicated could be increased to $45,000,000 — and directed staff to prepare redlines to the single‑closing proposal and report back at a March board meeting.

The discussion matters because the parcel is governed by a DPZ regulating plan that commissioners repeatedly described in the meeting as an ordinance, and because commissioners said the county wants both jobs and a strong return for taxpayers. Those priorities, several commissioners said, can be in tension: phased closings and broad contingencies could delay or reduce proceeds and make it harder for the county to use sale proceeds for immediate needs, while strict contract protections can affect developer appetite and project timing.

Commissioner Strohberger, who led much of the discussion, said negotiators must find a deal…