Park board told $2.2 million Bay Bluffs grant will flow through Conservation Florida; city to lead design and public engagement

Director Highstone told the Pensacola Park Board on Dec. 16 that the Bay Bluffs renovation project is advancing and that the funding will come to the city through Conservation Florida. "The director's report is right before you," Highstone said, describing a two-stage process in which the state first executes a grant agreement with Conservation Florida and the city then enters a direct agreement with Conservation Florida to carry out design and construction.

Highstone said the state award is $2,200,000 and that Conservation Florida will retain roughly $200,000 for grant administration and reporting. "They're doing the grant administration," he said. "We'll be doing the design and construction and sort of reporting to Conservation Florida along the way so they can file those reports and process the reimbursements to the city for that project." He estimated a draft agreement with Conservation Florida could come in January, with a final city–Conservation Florida contract around February.

Board members pressed for more detail about what terms Conservation Florida is negotiating with the state and whether the city will be able to influence restrictions before public engagement. One member warned that residents could ask for features the grant would not allow, saying, "…the public probably wants a Cadillac and we only have Volkswagen money." Highstone responded that the application was written around broad objectives, including habitat protection, and that the city submitted site-control documents, an estimated budget and a timeline so it will be in the loop when Conservation Florida circulates a draft agreement for review.

Highstone emphasized a phased approach: the initial phase will focus on critical repairs to reopen the park within the $2.2 million budget and a community engagement process will run during design. "We'll have to balance that with making sure we fulfill the requirements and can stay within budget for the project," he said. He said if community input identifies amenities beyond the current scope, the city could pursue additional funding for later phases.

Several board members asked that key public input also be captured on the public record at park board meetings. Highstone said staff plans to bring a summary of community concerns and invite additional comment when conceptual designs are presented to the board before construction documents move forward.

Next steps: staff anticipates a council item to accept the $2.2 million and will circulate a draft agreement from Conservation Florida for board review once available.