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Board gives conceptual approval to 227‑unit 9th‑Avenue development; asks for details on activation and landscaping
Summary
The Planning Board granted conceptual approval to a 227‑unit multifamily project along 9th Avenue, praising massing and public amenity proposals while urging more activation along the street, stronger landscaping and careful stormwater and flood‑elevation coordination with CRA covenants.
The Planning Board on Dec. 9 gave conceptual approval to a large multifamily project on South 9th Avenue after hearing a presentation from Charland Brock Architects and the project’s design team.
Project manager Tuan Tran described the proposal as a 7‑story main building with two levels of podium parking and a separate amenities building that would front 9th Avenue with a third‑floor pool and communal terrace overlooking Admiral Mason Veterans Memorial Park and Pensacola Bay. “We wanted to bring a project to this community that engages 9th Ave, and allows a pedestrian friendly approach,” Tran said.
Board concerns and comments
Board members and project architects walked through design constraints: replacement of heritage trees per CRA covenants, FEMA flood‑elevation requirements and a recorded stormwater easement that constrains building placement. Members expressed support for the project’s overall design and for its effort to activate 9th Avenue but asked the team to increase on‑site landscaping, soften parking‑garage edges, and ensure the smaller amenity/club building could adapt to future retail or community uses. Architect Brian Spencer and the team said the package was developed to comply with CRA covenants and earlier Urban Design Associates recommendations; they emphasized that the submission did not request variances and committed to more detailed landscape, material and street‑activation plans at final review.
Outcome and next steps
The board voted unanimously to approve conceptual aesthetic and site design with the board’s comments to be incorporated into final plans. Staff noted final review will require a detailed landscape plan, façade details, and engineering for stormwater and flood elevation compliance. The project team said sidewalks, parallel parking and several pedestrian surfaces are proposed to be pervious material where feasible and that the proposed grade relationships and setbacks were developed to minimize off‑site stormwater impacts.
