Monday, January 21, 2008

Three Things that Will Improve Downtown Pensacola

Moving the Main Street Sewage Treatment Plant – I recently went on a bike ride by the Trillium property and I was thinking about the placement of the new stadium in relation to the sewage treatment plant. After seeing the close proximity of the Trillium property to the plant, I can’t believe the CMPA is even thinking about letting the Pelicans throw a first pitch at the stadium before the plant is moved.

The new stadium will be right across the street from the treatment plant. No one will go to games if the wind from the plant is going to waft through the stadium. The plant needs to be moved before the Pelicans play their first game (if in fact they ever get to do that).

Attracting Tourists and Conferences to Downtown - We need to be competitive with other cities when it comes to attracting business conventions and tourists to downtown Pensacola.

Our close proximity to Pensacola Beach makes downtown an attractive spot for conference attendees. These visitors are willing to spend their money in Pensacola.

Opening Up Downtown to the Water – Pensacola needs to use their waterfront as a tourist attraction by getting rid of spoiled areas on its coastline. Other cities have opened up refurbished industrial areas near their waterfront and they’ve thrived.

Baltimore is one of these cities. The city turned a old dingy port into a major draw for tourists. The area has many hotels, tourist attractions and restaurants. We need these amenities in Pensacola.

The Pensacola City Council should adopt these plans and lead Pensacola towards a better tomorrow.

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