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Council workshop explores donating former Baptist building for community clinic
Summary
At a Pensacola City Council workshop, members and staff discussed donating a former Baptist Hospital building at 801 West Avery to Community Health to expand dental and family-practice services, clarified technical steps to remove the parcel from an inactive CRA footprint, and agreed to pursue a narrow near-term disposition while planning a broader master plan for remaining parcels.
Council members and city staff at a Pensacola workshop discussed moving Community Health into a former Baptist Hospital building at 801 West Avery and options for three other donated parcels, with staff saying formal items related to the Community Health proposal will appear on upcoming council agendas.
"There's actually 3 items that will be on the agenda later this month," the mayor said, framing the near-term effort around the parcel the city hopes to make available to Community Health.
Why it matters: Council members and residents said access to low-cost dental and family-practice services is a pressing need in neighborhoods near the former Baptist campus. Council members urged site visits and a plan that balances quick activation of services with a larger master plan for the remaining 38 acres.
City staff described the parcels and process. Adam, a city staff member who spoke about redevelopment logistics, explained the technical step required to move a building out of an inactive community redevelopment area: "Very, very simply, just a resolution," he said, referring to removing properties from an outdated CRA footprint so the city can transfer or repurpose them.
A Community Health representative told the council the proposed site at 801 West Avery would add both dental and medical capacity. "This gives us the opportunity to add five more operatories into the community," the representative said, adding the new site could serve "anywhere from 20 to 40 patients a day" depending on service mix. The representative said the plan is an expansion of Community Health's services, not a relocation.
Council members pressed for clarity on oversight and funding. The mayor said a nominal lease (described as a dollar-per-year model) with contractual controls would require the provider to maintain minimum hours and services; the city would build enforceable requirements into any agreement. Councilman Bair said he supported pursuing an "intent to dispose" for the specific building so staff could seek operators or leases rather than the city continuing to hold unused properties.
Public commenters urged the council to adopt a comprehensive master plan for the broader site rather than only approving piecemeal uses. "We need a master plan up there," resident Mister Gulley said, arguing that health facilities should be sited with an eye to surrounding neighborhoods such as Warrington and Navy Point.
Council members acknowledged that tension: several said they supported taking a narrow, immediate step to activate one building for health services while also directing staff to develop or return with a broader master plan for the campus. Councilwoman Patten noted a grant from Covenant and other revitalization funds make a near-term health use feasible while master-plan work continues.
What happens next: Staff said the Community Health items will be placed on council agendas for formal consideration; the workshop ended with no formal vote on disposition, and the council asked staff to return with specific recommendations and master-plan options at a future meeting.
