June 2025 | Carlton Proctor
Downtown Pensacola’s waterfront Community Maritime Park is attracting major investment by two separate hotel firms planning a total of 305 new hotel rooms.
Design plans for the proposed Reverb by Hard Rock Hotel and apartment development at the Maritime Park have been approved by the city of Pensacola.
Atlanta-based Inspired Communities of Florida plans construction of a 10-story hotel with 125 rooms and a 15-story apartment building. Inspired Communities is partnering with EJ Smith Enterprises, the real estate development company owned by Pensacola native Emmitt Smith, to build the hotel and apartments.
What’s more, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves says the city is close to reaching a deal for a second hotel at its downtown Maritime Park site.
Reeves says negotiations with Houston-based Valencia Hotel Group are on track for approval by the Pensacola City Council. “We’ve agreed on all terms,” Reeves says. “We’re just down to figuring out parking spaces.”
If the project receives final approval from the City Council, the proposed 180-room Valencia hotel will join the Reverb by Hard Rock Hotel project in the Maritime Park location.
AEROSPACE
- VT Mobile Aerospace Engineering (MAE), a subsidiary of ST Engineering, is moving some of its operations in Mobile, Ala., to its hangar facility at Pensacola International Airport. Other than saying the move will “streamline” operations, the company has provided few details on how the transfer of various operations in Mobile will affect Pensacola. ST Engineering provides maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services at Pensacola International’s two large hangars. A third hangar currently is under construction and a fourth is planned.
HIGHER EDUCATION
- Construction is underway in Perry on a $5-million, 10,000-sq.-ft. advanced manufacturing facility at Big Bend Technical College. The building will house training facilities for Big Bend and Taylor County School District students.
HOUSING
- Escambia County commissioners have approved a $2.53-million grant to AMR at Pensacola to be used to develop 53 affordable housing units on a former public school site. The development proposal calls for the housing units to be targeted at low-income individuals ranging in age from 50 to 60.
- A development proposal for a 104-unit apartment complex catering to University of West Florida students is moving forward through Escambia County’s permitting process. The project is being developed by Ameron Homes, a custom homebuilder whose headquarters are located near Vero Beach.
MANUFACTURING
- Pulse Industries, manufacturer of industrial electron linear accelerators, is constructing a 278,000-sq.-ft. facility in Jackson County near Marianna. The plant will have the capacity to produce approximately 100 linear accelerators annually and will create some 100 jobs over the next few years. Industrial linear accelerators utilize electron beam technology to sterilize medical instruments and treat drinking water by destroying various harmful microbes.
NOTABLE QUOTABLE
“We’ve created a funky ambience where people can enjoy good music and conversation and be present with one another. ”
— Tallahassee restaurateur Adam Reiss describes The Filibuster, a members-only “listening and conversation” club he recently opened on Jefferson Street in downtown Tallahassee in the space where Andrew’s 228 once operated. Annual dues are $11.11 and go to the Filibuster Impact Fund, which supports charitable and educational initiatives in the region and the state.
Capitol Makeover
Florida’s Capitol complex in Tallahassee is undergoing a $306-million multiyear renovation. The ongoing projects include redesigning the historic Waller Park, adjacent to the main entrance to the 25-story Capitol tower; building new security screening areas in the east and west entrances; renovating the Cabinet Meeting Room with a higher ceiling and better lighting; and installing 1,681 energy-efficient windows. All projects are expected to be completed by 2028.