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Commissioners agree to $500,000 conditional allocation to preserve buildings at former Baptist Hospital site
Summary
Following pleas from neighborhood residents and commissioners, the board agreed to allocate $500,000 for rehabilitation tied to preserving legacy-campus buildings and keeping health services on site. Funds will be released if the city transfers specified buildings for community and health use.
After public testimony from Brownsville-area residents, the Escambia County Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 16 approved a conditional $500,000 allocation aimed at preserving part of the former Baptist Hospital “legacy campus.” The board tied the funding to a written commitment that the city will deed specific buildings: one for a county-run resource center and one designated for health-care services.
Why it matters: Speakers and commissioners said the former Baptist Hospital complex serves as a community anchor for residents who rely on nearby health care and services. Some residents urged the county to prevent the wholesale demolition of buildings that the community regards as part of its history.
What the board approved: Commissioner Lumen May proposed allocating $500,000 from county funds to rehabilitate at least one building into a county asset and to secure a second building for community health services. The board recorded the allocation as contingent on the city transferring the two buildings: a structure for a county resource center and a structure to be retained for health-care use. Commissioners voted to approve the contingency; the clerk recorded the motion as passing without opposition.
Public testimony: Mary Armstrong and other longtime residents said Baptist Hospital historically provided jobs and services to the neighborhood and that demolition would further displace vulnerable residents. Commissioner May said his negotiations with the mayor and other local officials aimed to keep some buildings and services in the neighborhood and to avoid demolition solely for market redevelopment.
Next steps: County staff will coordinate with city officials to document the proposed transfers and the scope of rehabilitation work. The board’s motion directed county administration to return with template terms and a plan for oversight of the rehab and ongoing programming if the city conveys the buildings as described.
Budget note: Commissioners stressed they would not fund demolition costs; the $500,000 is for rehabilitation of buildings the city agrees to convey. The motion passed at the Sept. 16 meeting.
