Changes
Removed personal information. This is a wiki article, not Facebook
{{Infobox Biography
| subject_name =Ray Russenberger
| image_name =RayRussenberger.jpg| image_size =180px
| image_caption =
| date_of_birth =[[August 20]], [[1954]]
| place_of_birth =Little Rock, Arkansas
| date_of_death =
| place_of_death =
| occupation =Entrepreneur, developer, restaurateur
| religion =
| spouse =Cynthia Steltenkamp (1976?-1993)<br/>[[Valerie Russenberger]] (1994-present)
| parents =
| children =Rhett, Rachel, Lauren, Stephanie & SaraBethSara Beth
}}
'''Ray Dean Russenberger''' (b. [[1954]]) is an entrepreneur and developer who founded (and later sold) telecommunication companies [[Network Paging]], [[Network USA]] and [[Network Telephone]]. He has been integral to a number of Pensacola real estate developments, most notably the [[Palafox Pier]] project and [[Thiesen Building]] renovation in [[downtown Pensacola]].
Russenberger purchased the historic [[Thiesen Building]] for $200,000 in [[1992]], then spent around $3.5 million renovating it for the [[Network USA]] headquarters.
[[Image:PalafoxPier.jpg|thumb|right|Palafox Pier]]
In [[1995]], the [[City of Pensacola]] sought a development partner to help revitalize the area at the southern end of [[Palafox Street]]. The resulting project, [[Palafox Pier]], was heavily funded by Russenberger, who paid $1 million to lease the land<ref>"Palafox Pier part of city's urban vision." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 24, 2000.</ref> and around $17 million to construct the 92-slip marina and four mixed-use structures totaling 90,000 square feet. The city contributed $2.4 million for the infrastructure, breakwater and parking lot, plus a $1.2 million state grant for other improvements and a pledge to demolish [[Bayfront Auditorium]] and replace it with a [[Plaza de Luna|public park]].<ref>http://www.inweekly.net/article.asp?artID=912</ref>
Palafox Pier was originally intended to house retail tenants on the ground floor,<ref>"Waterfront idea comes together." ''Pensacola News Journal'', October 10, 1999.</ref> but with the rapid growth of [[Network Telephone]] during construction, Russenberger hinted he would probably use the space for his own company. [[CRA]] director [[Jennifer Fleming]] said at the time, "we don't have anything that specifically says he needs to put retail in those buildings."<ref>"Palafox Pier complex fills quickly." ''Pensacola News Journal'', March 17, 2000.</ref>
==Politics & philanthropy==
===Electoral history===
====[[Pensacola City Council]], [[2004]]====
''This election was held [[November 2]], [[2004]]. Pensacola City Council races are non-partisan.''
{| class==Politics & philanthropy=="wikitable"|-|'''[[Jack Nobles|John W. "Jack" Nobles]]''' '''(i)'''|'''15,505'''|'''59.2%'''|-|Ray Russenberger|10,688|40.8%{{sectstub}|}
==References==