Pensacola workshop lays out $10.5M "New Palafox" proposal; council presses staff on parking, phasing and business impacts

City staff and the mayor outlined the "New Palafox" roadway and streetscape plan at a Pensacola City Council workshop, presenting stormwater, accessibility and public‑space improvements while councilmembers pressed for more precise cost and phasing options and downtown business owners urged clearer parking mitigation.

Adrienne Walker, the mayor’s strategic initiatives project officer, told the council the proposal focuses on stormwater and accessibility upgrades with aesthetic additions. "That pipe, the new pipe, will capture 93,000 gallons of stormwater, which equates to about 1 inch of standing water throughout the entire project area," Walker said, adding the work includes 44 new drainage structures, over 1,700 linear feet of pipe, 46 ADA curb ramps, and a net gain of more than 12,000 square feet of pervious surface.

Walker said the project also includes safety and placemaking features: reduced crossing distances (by up to 16 feet), four elevated mid‑block crossings with a rumble pattern, 28 litter receptacles, 18 benches, 24 dedicated bike parking spaces, and a 2,000‑foot segment of the America’s First Settlement Trail. She said the city has…