CRA approves funding for ‘Reimagine Palafox,’ recommends City Council award construction contract after broad public debate

The Pensacola Community Redevelopment Agency voted to reallocate CRA funds to the South Palafox Pedestrian Improvement Project on Nov. 10 after an hours‑long presentation and a public comment period that included both staunch supporters and worried small business owners.

Adrienne Walker, the city staff member who presented the item, said the single‑phase project will include major stormwater upgrades, universal accessibility modifications and streetscape improvements. Walker said construction fencing is scheduled to go up on Jan. 5, 2026, and that the project team plans to provide 414 free parking spaces on Jefferson, Spring Garden and North Palafox during construction and to seek a reallocation of up to $768,000 in unclaimed incentive funds to support rent relief administered by the Downtown Improvement Board (DIB).

Steve Dana of Jerry Pate Design described the stormwater work as a major foundation for the project, saying the new piping will provide roughly 93,000 gallons of storage — about 1.5 inches of water across the project area — and that new inlets and regrading will shrink individual watershed areas and reduce street flooding. "That is the difference between a storefront being flooded and…