Historical Downtown Renaissance in Pensacola & Ft. Walton Beach
By Joni Williams, Condo Owner Magazine, Volume 18, Issue 3 (Summer 2014)
It’s said that history repeats itself, but when it comes to the downtown areas of Pensacola and Ft. Walton Beach, it’s also the mother of reinvention.
Once upon a time, these areas were the bustling hubbub of their respective cities. Then only a few generations ago,modern development on area beaches snowballed and original cottages, mom-and-pop hotels and other longstanding venues readily made way for slick, modern residences; contemporary shopping; and dining hot spots while downtown Ft. Walton Beach retained many of its original buildings dating back to the mid-20th century, and downtown Pensacola, which was originally settled in the early 1500’s, has preserved a staggering amount of its architectural heritage.
Both cities tell a familiar tale: as the beaches boomed, the formerly bustling downtown areas of Ft. Walton Beach and Pensacola that once kept the pulse of their communities, began to slip quietly into the background.
But that is rapidly changing.By all accounts – including officials of both downtown communities – the beach continues to serve as the top draw along Florida’s Gulf Coast, but there has been a flurry of activity and renewed appeal in the downtown areas, which offer picturesque waterfront scenery all their own via The Sound and Pensacola Bay
At first glance, it may seem that history is merely repeating itself, but a closer look reveals this renaissance is anything but accidental.
Downtown Pensacola: The Original Lifestyle Center
“People come because we have everything right here,” said Pensacola marketer Jane Newberry of the Newberry Agency, pointing out that the downtown area offers an award-winning shopping center, enchanting bay front views, and a myriad of cultural events such as theaters, museums, galleries, concert halls and ballet. “Not only do we have them, “ Newberry said of the offerings, “they’re really, really good.”
One of the most popular events in the region, Gallery Night, is a cornucopia of these offerings — music, art, food, libations and the wares of downtown venders. The bi-weekly Palafox Market,offering handcrafted jewelry, artwork, farm fresh produce and honey along with an array of sumptuous looking prepared foods, has also been a hit with locals and visitors alike.
“You know, people are always talking about building ‘lifestyle centers’ but Downtown Pensacola is the original lifestyle center – everything’s here,” said Corbett Davis Jr., whose downtown business, Jeweler’s Trade Shop, has been in his family for about 50 years.
One of the biggest coups for the area, already home to its own ice hockey team, the Ice Flyers, has been the addition of a minor league baseball team, the Blue Wahoos, with home games held in the recently-built Maritime Park that has greatly contributed to the bay front area’s comeback.
But, as with the rest of downtown, it didn’t happen by accident. “It’s due to a lot of people who took a risk,” stressed Davis, giving high praise to government officials as well as private business people who have invested or set up shop in the downtown area.
“There was a concerted effort to create an awareness of how important it is to revitalize the downtown area,” Birdwell summed, explaining that when developers “come into an area, they first take the temperature of the downtown area” even when assessing surrounding communities.
Whatever the reason, there has been a real push behind the scenes by the city and the Downtown Improvement Board to beautify the area’s landscaping and update its buildings while keeping restoration efforts intact.
“The city gave incentives like low loan rates to improve exteriors,” Davis explained, of the area’s fresh-scrubbed appearance. Mandates are also in place to keep appearances consistent with the city’s rich heritage. “You can only use certain colors of paints and they have to be approved,” Davis said, by way of example.
Likewise, new condos in the vicinity typically were – or are being — built to complement the area’s historical buildings or utilize existing buildings, such as the Baylen Lofts, while ensuring their preservation.
Although the design of the downtown area is intended for ease of walkability, officials recognized that making the area more navigable by car would also be key to its newborn appeal. To that end, many one-way streets have recently been converted to two-way.
“When Palafox was made into a two-way street, it made a big difference,” Davis said, referring to the portion just south of Garden Street that is now thriving with a number of burgeoning retail spots and eateries.
But efforts didn’t stop there. The streets leading into the downtown area from the east were also converted. “People would drive in from the beach and the first thing they would see is ‘do not enter’ because the main arteries into the downtown area were one-way. So, they would simply turn around and go back to the beach,” Birdwell said, alluding to the confusion that often resulted before the bi-directional change.
Likewise, parking was also addressed when many of the old mechanical meters dotting the streets were replaced with modern, digital ones. And some spots are now free-of-charge or, in the case of the area’s parking garage and paid lot, reimbursable. “We validate parking,” Davis said of his customers that use the Gregory Street parking garage, adding that the gesture isn’t uncommon among downtown businesses.
For now, at least, the increased number of businesses and events — in addition to the traditional New Year’s Pelican drop and longstanding Mardi Gras revelry — combined with the area’s physical preservation and easier navigation by vehicles, seem to equal success as the downtown area is, once again, bustling and thriving.
In fact, downtown Pensacola’s makeover has been so successful that at least one other panhandle city has taken notice.
Downtown Ft. Walton Beach: The Entertainment District
“We love Pensacola, “ said Ft. Walton Beach Chamber President and CEO Ted Corcoran.“There is no doubt we have seen success there and yes, we are looking to emulate that kind of success.”
There are differences between the two downtown areas, though, that go beyond the 40 or so miles separating them and beyond the age differences of their well-preserved buildings. It wasn’t necessary for Ft. Walton Beach streets, for example, to undergo directional lane changes or meter upgrades. Two-way streets are the norm and “there’s currently no paid parking here,” said Corcoran.
While downtown Pensacola has long been dubbed a historical district with roots dating back to the 16th century, downtown Ft. Walton Beach is billing itself as an “entertainment district.”
This new designation was handily reinforced with new zoning that allows patrons to leave bars and restaurants with alcoholic drinks in hand – a huge coup in a state with strict open container laws. However, Florida’s driving laws remain enforceable as the new zoning appliesonly to drinkers on foot, as part of an ongoing effort to hone the area’s walkability.
“It’s a strolling environment,” Corcoran said of the downtown area, before describing the typical family scenario. “You can go from a restaurant to The Landing Park and maybe enjoy a concert. The kids can play while mom enjoys a glass of wine and dad, a beer – or the other way around,” he added with a quick laugh.“I’m just using that as an example.”
“The park is used everyday,” he said, serious again, explaining that people flock to The Landing that banks the Sound to enjoy the water or simply take in the view. Officials now want to take it up a notch by hosting organized community events like the May 2014 concert series that featured some of the most popular local bands: Heritage, Boukou Grove and Season Ammons.
“This is like the Superbowl coming to (our) community,” said Corcoran.
And judging by attendance, the public – both visitors and locals alike – are embracing the change. The initial weekly concert drew 150 people, but that number quadrupled by the concert series’ end, four weeks later. “Week after week, it was increasing,“ Corcoran said.
Additionally, the entertainment district is home to the colorful monthly Art Walk as well as a Farmer’s Market on Saturdays. And the long-running Billy Bowlegs Festival, complete with parades, pirate costumes and royalty coronations, is one of the most revered events in the area.
Still, Corcoran was quick to acknowledge the area’s top draw remains what it’s always been: the beach. “It is by far the No. 1 attraction in our community,” he said.
But he was just as quick to emphasize the downtown area is within walking or biking distance of Okaloosa Island’s beach. Though requiring a quick jaunt over the heavily-travelled Brooks Bridge, Corcoran pointed out there are separate areas for foot travelers. “You could park your car and walk everywhere,” he said, of visitors staying on “the island.”
Perhaps even more attractive to condo investors is the rising value of Okaloosa Island investment properties. “The vacation rental rates are now almost the same as those in Destin,” Corcoran said. “Now the vacationer is making a comparative choice because the island is less congested.” Another perk he cited are that high-rise buildings on the island are limited to seven stories, which is sometimes a priority of renters.
But that’s not to say there aren’t condominiums in the downtown area. Though many are products of early pre-millenium development, others such as Steamboat Landing and the Villa del Mar — each located in the heart of the Entertainment District on Brooks Street — are less than a decade old.
And the long-awaited Landmark Center, a comprehensive commercial-residential project in the heart of the downtown area that will bring in the district’s first parking garage, will include a brand new hotel as well as condo-lofts. Units for the new development have already hit the market with pre-construction pricing.
So far, the restoration and development efforts combined with a growing number of events and revamped entertainment codes appear to be paying off for Ft. Walton Beach too.
“The downtown area,” Corcoran confirmed, “is, once again, a vibrant place to enjoy.”
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