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The '''Vince Whibbs Sr. Community Maritime Park''' (often abbreviated to '''Community Maritime Park''' or '''CMP''') is a public-private development that is planned to occupy the [[City of Pensacola|City]]-owned, 27.5-acre [[Trillium property]]. It will include a 3,500200-seat "multi-use" stadium, a [[maritime museum]], a conference/education center with [[University of West Florida]] classrooms, a variety of mixed-use development and a large public park along the waterfront.
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]].
In the remaining months before the referendum, both sides — Save Our City and a pro-park group called [[Friends of the Waterfront Park]] — engaged in a hard-hitting campaign that often resorted to personal attacks and accusations. The Friends political group, funded largely by [[Quint Studer]], mounted a campaign portraying critics of the plan as curmudgeonly naysayers, embodied by a pair of cartoon characters named [[Chuckie and Donno]].<ref>Wayne A. Stewart. "Letter to the Editor: Insulting cartoon." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 5, 2006.</ref> Save Our City depicted Studer as a scheming carpetbagger who was getting a "$100 million ballpark" (a figure derived from the bond, interest and an estimated value of the property) for only [[#Ownership & administration|$1 a year]].<ref>Michael Stewart. "Project opponents say funds from CRA would serve better purpose elsewhere." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 20, 2006.</ref>
Fairchild also produced a series of emails from marketing firm [[E. W. Bullock Associates]], obtained through a public records request to university and city administrators, which he claimed showed an inappropriate back-room attempt "to push their plan on the council and the people of Pensacola" and represented a conflict of interest on the part of the firm, which frequently did work for the [[City of Pensacola]].<ref name="criesfoul">Michael Stewart. "Opponent of park cries foul." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 23, 2006.</ref> In one email, dated [[January 19]], [[2005]], public relations specialist [[Raad Cawthon]] offered a reading of the council members' predispositions and boasted of at least "five votes in our pocket."<ref name="criesfoul"/> However, both Bullock and the council insisted Cawthon was just "counting votes" and denied any impropriety: "No one from the maritime park has so much as bought me a Diet Coke," said Councilman [[P. C. Wu]]. "If I'm in their pocket, they got me very cheap."<ref name="denywrongdoing"/> Just days before the referendum, local activist [[Tom Garner]] filed a complaint with the state attorney's office, citing the emails as evidence of possible [[Sunshine Law]] violations.<ref>Michael Stewart. "Activist files park complaint." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 30, 2006.</ref> The state attorney's office quickly dismissed the complaint, determining there were "insufficient facts to establish that any violation of the Sunshine Law occurred."<ref>Michael Stewart. "Office dismisses park plan complaint." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 2, 2006.</ref><ref>[http://routzen.files.wordpress.com/2006/09/state-attorneys-response-to-garner-complaint.pdf State Attorney's response to Garner complaint]</ref>
In the end, the park project received endorsements by the [[Pensacola Bay Area Chamber of Commerce]],<ref>"Pensacola Chamber endorsing project." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 22, 2006.</ref> the [[Gulf Breeze Chamber of Commerce]],<ref>Sean Dugas. "Park friends, foes plan last-minute events." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 25, 2006.</ref> the [[UWF]] Board of Trustees,<ref>Sheila Ingram. "Votes, grants, endorsements propel park plan." ''Pensacola News Journal'', June 25, 2006.</ref> media outlets including the ''[[Pensacola News Journal]]''<ref>"Our view: Voters should approve Maritime Park." ''Pensacola News Journal'', August 27, 2006.</ref> and ''[[Independent News]]'',<ref>Rick Outzen. "[http://routzen.wordpress.com/2006/09/05/if-undecided-on-the-waterfront-park/ If undecided on the Waterfront Park.]" ''Rick's Blog'', September 5, 2006.</ref> and a myriad of professional groups, businesses and prominent individuals. The [[Friends of the Waterfront Park]] spent nearly $600,000 to promote the project, most of it donated by Studer and his company, compared to the $68,700 raised by [[Save Our City]].<ref>Mark O'Brien. "Money, young people help bring a new look to Pensacola politics." ''Pensacola News Journal'', September 6, 2006.</ref>