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It The park is named for former [[Mayor of Pensacola|Mayor]] [[Vince Whibbs]], who became a principal of the venture after the death of Admiral Fetterman before passing away himself during the referendum campaign.
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The project was conceived and promoted by a group of prominent citizens including Admiral [[Jack Fetterman]], businessman [[Quint Studer]] and [[UWF]] President [[John Cavanaugh]]. An initial layout was refined in public focus groups by urban planner [[Ray Gindroz]], and the revised conceptual plan was approved by the [[Pensacola City Council]] in [[2005]]. A grassroots ad hoc group called [[Save Our City]] attempted to overturn the council's decision and forced a [[Community Maritime Park referendum|special referendum]], but the project was affirmed by city voters on [[September 5]], [[2006]].
The park will be [[Community Maritime Park#Funding|funded]] by a $40 million [[Community Redevelopment Agency]] bond, subject to a [[Wikipedia:Florida Supreme Court|Florida Supreme Court]] decision potentially affecting tax increment financing, and an estimated $30 million or more in private contributionsinvestment. Development Control and operation will be administered budget for the project is overseen by the non-profit [[Community Maritime Park Associates]]. The master developer is Utah-based Land Capital Group, which formed an ad hoc corporation, [[Maritime Park Development Partners]] (MPDP), to handle construction and development.
==History==
{{main|Timeline of the Community Maritime Park}}
===Background===
In [[20012000]], the [[City of Pensacola]] purchased a 27.5-acre peninsular parcel of formerly industrial land, commonly known as the [[Trillium property]], at from The Trust for Public Land, a cost of national nonprofit conservation organization that had acted as an intermediary in the complex transaction, for $3.63 million.<ref>"City OKs contract to buy Trillium site." ''Pensacola News Journal'', March 29, 2000.</ref> Located south of [[Pensacola City Hall|City Hall]] and [[Main Street]] to [[Pensacola Bay]], and bounded to the east and west by [[Port Royal]] and [[Bruce Beach]] respectively, it was the largest undeveloped waterfront property in the Pensacola area.
The site was soon considered for a municipal auditorium to replace the aging [[Bayfront Auditorium]]. Architectural firm [[Bullock Tice Associates]] created a conceptual plan, called the [[Festival Park]], which was approved by the [[Pensacola City Council]] on [[November 21]], [[2002]]. Initial work had already begun, including a massive concrete breakwater on the southern edge of the property, when a group called [[Citizens Against Trillium]] (led by [[Charles Fairchild]]) petitioned for a referendum on the project, utilizing a yet-untried proviso of the city's charter. On [[March 25]], [[2003]] the citizens of Pensacola voted to overturn the council's decision and scrap the plan.
{{sectstub}}
====Master developer proposalsselection====
After an extended deadline, the two candidates for master developer submitted their RFP responses in late May [[2008]].
The proposal by Trinity Weston Cypress<ref>Trinity Capital response parts [http://www.cityofpensacola.com/upload/images/CommunityDevelopment/PDFs/CMPA_proposal_final_2(a).pdf a], [http://www.cityofpensacola.com/upload/images/CommunityDevelopment/PDFs/CMPA_proposal_final_2(b).pdf b], [http://www.cityofpensacola.com/upload/images/CommunityDevelopment/PDFs/CMPA_proposal_final_2(c2).pdf c] & [http://www.cityofpensacola.com/upload/images/CommunityDevelopment/PDFs/CMPA_proposal_final_2(d).pdf d]</ref> combined public and estimated private costs (which one city consultant called "confusing"<ref name="troublesmount">"Maritime troubles mount." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 8, 2008.</ref>) for a total buildout cost in excess of $247 million. However, the budget for remediation and infrastructure alone totaled nearly $50 million, or about $12 million more than the remaining public money. The TWC timeline estimates several years of permitting and site work, with construction concluding in 2013.
The Land Capital proposal was selected by the [[CMPA]] Board on {{date needed}}. After [[Pensacola City Manager|City Manager]] [[Al Coby]] and consultants took issue with several points in early drafts, the contract went through several months of revisions and negotiations. A final draft was approved by the [[Pensacola City Council]]'s Committee of the Whole on [[April 20]];<ref>Kris Wernowsky. "Park clears big hurdle." ''Pensacola News Journal'', April 21, 2009.</ref> by the CMPA Board on [[April 21]];<ref>Kris Wernowsky. "Park deal OK'd." ''Pensacola News Journal'', April 22, 2009.</ref> and by a unanimous vote of the full City Council on [[April 23]].<ref>Thyrie Bland. "Council sparks park." ''Pensacola News Journal'', April 24, 2009.</ref>
====Construction begins====
Two important environmental permits, one from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the second from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, were received by the CMPA Board in February [[2009]].<ref>"Maritime Park receives final environmental permit." ''Pensacola News Journal'', February 25, 2009.</ref>
The official groundbreaking ceremony for the park took place on [[September 17]], 2009.<ref>Thyrie Bland. "Maritime Park work begins today." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 18, 2009.</ref>
==Features==
Image:CMP-MasterPlan.jpg|450px|Features
rect 270 147 496 345 [[#Parking|Structured parking]]rect 229 451 375 544 [[#Plaza DeVilliers|Plaza DeVilliers]]poly 230 1134 269 1134 294 1158 794 1144 798 1131 842 1128 844 1164 230 1179 [[#South park & waterfront promenade|Waterfront promenade]]poly 287 951 289 1022 273 1022 270 1132 297 1154 793 1141 793 1131 833 1122 868 1075 853 944 834 857 763 929 661 955 [[#South park & waterfront promenade|South park]]poly 698 106 942 103 936 179 896 274 835 348 770 383 697 399 [[#Water garden & Spring Street park|Water garden]]poly 427 569 544 574 543 457 586 457 583 573 849 571 848 642 831 643 832 800 799 875 713 930 519 932 486 758 485 612 427 606 [[#Multi-purpose stadium|Multi-purpose stadium]]poly 746 451 809 453 811 568 849 569 851 643 839 645 841 792 830 846 867 1065 842 1116 842 1165 865 1165 867 1185 917 1187 920 1134 893 1133 893 1106 971 1105 971 1097 894 1097 895 997 950 998 952 991 894 990 894 890 971 890 972 882 894 881 892 783 934 782 936 775 893 774 892 456 940 402 957 367 958 328 949 296 933 283 866 372 786 423 [[#Water garden & Spring Street park|Spring Street park]]poly 231 1188 189 1186 190 1149 220 1149 220 1136 125 1136 123 1072 220 1072 219 1025 127 1025 126 962 219 961 220 919 126 918 128 857 219 852 217 591 271 592 269 943 281 950 280 1019 269 1021 268 1132 230 1134 [[#DeVilliers Wharf|DeVilliers Wharf]]poly 86 422 172 463 173 587 84 534 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 75 303 56 332 143 383 177 383 175 113 30 113 30 148 135 148 134 330 79 301 [[#Mixed-use area|Mixed-use area]]poly 232 235 265 235 265 142 498 142 497 235 541 236 540 103 227 102 223 232 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 224 259 266 259 264 350 499 349 499 257 541 259 543 420 221 419 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 590 107 693 107 693 398 587 413 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 275 642 371 642 373 943 284 943 274 931 [[#Maritime museum|Maritime museum]]poly 30 388 78 416 79 536 31 506 [[#Maritime museum|Maritime museum]]poly 426 608 479 615 480 764 493 859 421 856 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 991 110 1140 112 1140 221 990 217 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 29 150 131 150 130 313 82 293 55 329 36 318 31 301 [[#Parking|Surface parking]]poly 588 458 803 456 805 567 585 569 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 425 455 436 449 541 450 542 567 538 572 423 568 [[#Education/conference center|Education/conference center]]poly 271 592 310 593 312 639 273 639 [[#Mixed-use development|Mixed-use development]]poly 325 592 371 593 374 639 326 639 [[#Maritime museum|Maritime museum]]
desc bottom-left
[[Image:MaritimeMuseumRendering.png|right|330px|Conceptual elevation of the Fetterman Maritime Museum by designer Doug Mund]]
{{main|Fetterman Maritime Museum}}
The western side of the property will feature the [[Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center]]. Conceived by the late Vice Admiral [[Jack Fetterman]], for whom it was later named, the 50,000 square foot, $18 million museum will was originally planned to be funded half by private donations and half by the State of Florida's Alec P. Courtelis Matching Gift Program.
The museum's interactive, educational displays will showcase artifacts from Pensacola's maritime history. The [[University of West Florida]] will operate active research facilities in the areas of public history, underwater archaeology, marine biology and environmental science.
</gallery></div>
===ConferenceEducation/education conference center===
The [[University of West Florida]] will also host classes for its business and continuing education departments at the park. The same complex will also house a conference center, which [[Quint Studer]] has promised to use for [[Studer Group|his company's]] health care seminars. The university will contribute about $15 million for the center's construction and will pay an estimated $350,000 in annual rent for at least ten years.<ref name="cavanaughboosts">Alvin Peabody. "Cavanaugh boosts UWF center." ''Pensacola News Journal'', March 7, 2006.</ref>
====''Strand'' decision====
{{main|Strand v. Escambia County}}
In [[2006]], Pensacola veterinarian [[Greg Strand]] filed a lawsuit challenging the [[Southwest Escambia Improvement District]], which proposed to use tax-increment financing (TIF) issue $135 million in bonds for the widening of [[Perdido Key Drive]]. Strand argued that the bonds were unconstitutional because they obligated the citizens within the district to long-term debt without their direct approval by referendum. In [[2007]] the Florida Supreme Court sided with Strand, overturning decades of precedent and endangering TIF-funded projects throughout the state. Even though the CMP project had been approved in a [[Community Maritime Park referendum|referendum]] by voters in the city, which includes the entirety of the [[CRA]] district, [[Pensacola City Attorney|City Attorney]] [[John Fleming]] indicated that a county-wide referendum may be needed. Backers of the park project began looking for new ways to finance the $40 million bond.
However, on [[September 18]], [[2008]], the Supreme Court reversed their earlier decision, allowing the project to move forward with CRA bonds.<ref>"Decision puts park on track." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 19, 2008.</ref>
====Other public money====
Much of the park funding will also come from other public sources. The $18 million [[maritime museum]] will receive up to half of its construction costs from the State of Florida's Alec P. Courtelis Matching Gift Program. Operating costs for the museum and research center will be paid by the state-funded [[University of West Florida]], in addition to at least $350,000 in annual rent for the education/conference center.<ref name="cavanaughboosts"/>
The master developer, [[Maritime Park Development Partners]], is also pursuing millions of dollars in federal grants from the [[Wikipedia:American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]].
===Private donations & investments===
[[Quint Studer]] has made a number of financial commitments to the Community Maritime Park. He has pledged for the [[Pensacola Pelicans|Pelicans]] to play at the park for a minimum of ten years, paying an annual lease of at least $175,000. He has also agreed to pay $250,000 a year for five years to cover any initial operating deficit; if there is no such deficit, the money will be donated to local charities.<ref>Lesley Conn. "Maritime park vote on horizon." ''Pensacola News Journal'', March 3, 2006.</ref>
Pensacolian [[Randall K. "Skip" Hunter]] and his wife Martha donated $1 million to the [[UWF Foundation]] for the construction of an amphitheater on the waterfront lawn and to help fund development of the maritime museum. The concert shell will be designated the '''Randall K. and Martha A. Hunter Amphitheater''' in their honor by the university.<ref name="publichassay">Jamie Page. "Public has say on park." ''Pensacola News Journal'', December 13, 2008.</ref>
===Rising costs & development "phases"===
When urban planner [[Ray Gindroz]] revised the initial park design, he was not asked to stay within a budget. As a result, according to [[Tom Bonfield]], he "added a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't there before"<ref>Sheila Ingram. "Park faces more scrutiny." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 20, 2005.</ref> — amenities like a lighthouse, a concert shell, and a large-scale replica of the [[William Panton Mansion]]. Combined with an estimated 12.5 percent increase in construction costs after [[Hurricane Katrina|Hurricanes Katrina]] and [[Hurricane Rita|Rita]],<ref>"Sample of projects battling a rise in costs." ''Pensacola News Journal'', October 16, 2005.</ref> and park developers began contemplating multiple "phases" of construction that would deliver all the promised features while not exceeding the $40 million public bond.
When Land Capital entered into final negotiations to serve as master developer, it was revealed that their proposal to develop the public portion of the park totaled more than $50 million, exceeding the $40 million bond allotted for those improvements. Land Capital president [[Scott Davison]] was confident that $12 million or more would be available through federal grants, but indicated that the alternative would be to include the UWF classrooms or conference center in a portion of the private improvements or postpone construction of those elements until funds were available.<ref>Jamie Page. "Funds build less at park." ''Pensacola News Journal'', December 6, 2008.</ref>
{{sectstub}}
===Economic impact===
{{reflist|3}}
[[Category:Community Maritime Park| ]] [[Category:Community Redevelopment Agency]] [[Category:Parks& recreation]]