A public/private partnership in Pensacola is developing a world-class site for new manufacturing and industrial companies that could accommodate as many as 60 new tenants and create more than 15,000 new jobs.
Called “The Bluffs – Northwest Florida’s Industrial Campus,” the privately owned corridor stretches from the Ascend Performance Materials site north to property owned by the Emerald Coast Utilities Authority (ECUA) and west to U.S. 29 in north Pensacola. Partners in the effort include the Pensacola-Escambia County Development Commission, the University of West Florida, Gulf Power Company, Ascend, ECUA, the Florida West Economic Alliance and the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity.
“This corridor is perfect for new development,” Scott Luth, CEO of Florida West said. “It has more than 1,700 acres of developable land, rail and barge access. Plus it has all the utility infrastructure there – electric transmission service, natural gas, reclaimed water from ECUA, steam production, wastewater treatment – all assets for manufacturing and industrial customers.”
Engineering studies have been completed on the property, identifying potential sites and accounting for wetlands, stormwater runoff, parking and roads. A marketing plan has also been developed to begin reaching out to potential companies.
The plans also include making the campus an “environmental showcase” ensuring that the natural beauty of The Bluffs is preserved by building natural trails and encouraging green features for new tenants. “
We still have a lot of work to do and this is a long-term, 20-year vision,” Luth said. “But we know that planned growth means quality growth and that the best communities map out their future years ahead of time. We see The Bluffs as an opportunity to create an environmental showcase while creating jobs for our children and grandchildren.”
View the conceptual renderings of the Northwest Florida Industrial Campus sites:
