Second Group Interested in Pensacola Civic Center Rebuild....

Board members received the following unsolicited email yesterday from a new group interested in a potential arrangement with the county to modernize the Pensacola Civic Center: (It drew a stern response from the purchasing department very quickly thereafter, which is copied on the bottom of this post)

"Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator & County Stakeholders,

As you may be aware, we had the privilege of serving the County in studying various best-use options of the Bay Center back in 2011. In response to the RFI seeking a Public/Private Partnership to potentially replace the Bay Center, Johnson Consulting has put together a team interested in serving as the development advisor on behalf of the County.  Attached you will note our team experience as well as proposed services that may be of interest in helping the County’s decision-making process for the future of the Bay Center.  Johnson Consulting has significant experience serving as development advisor to various municipalities in relation to  public/private partnerships, with a specialized focus on public assembly venues as well as adjacent entertainment districts.  A few of our current/recent project for arenas and mixed-use districts include:

·       One Central, a proposed 20 million square foot mixed-use development, which includes an entertainment district adjacent to Soldiers Field in Chicago, IL.

·       Navy Hill Arena, a $1.5 billion public/private partnership for a proposed new arena and mixed-use district in Richmond, VA, which included a convention center headquarter hotel as well as office, retail, and residential.

·       Xtream Arena, a new 5,000 seat arena as well as an adjacent 180 acre mixed-use development called the Iowa River Landing Reinvestment District in Coralville, IA.  The development includes the following uses: office, retail, residential, hotel, a museum, and an indoor fieldhouse catered towards youth and amateur sports tourism.

·       The Yards, an 11-acre mixed-use public/private partnership, which includes: a new 5,000 seat ice arena with two community ice sheets, hotel & conference center, parking garage, office, retail and residential.

·       Dallas Fair Park, solicitation for a third-party management company to oversee the operation of the City’s fairgrounds. 

If appropriate and willing, our team would be pleased to schedule a follow-up conference call with whom you deem appropriate to discuss in greater detail the extent of this proposal as well areas in which we believe may be of value to the County during this process."

PURCHASING DEPT. RESPONSE:

"This is not appropriate.

This violates Escambia County’s Conduct of Participants (page 3) of the solicitation for PD 17-18.002, Multi-Use Sports and Event Venue Public Private Partnership.

After the issuance of any solicitation, all bidders/proposers/protestors or individuals acting on their behalf are hereby prohibited from lobbying as defined herein or otherwise attempting to persuade or influence any elected County officials, their agents or employees or any member of the relevant selection PD 17-18.002, Multi-Use Sports and Event Venue Public Private Partnership committee at any time during the blackout period as defined herein; provided, however, nothing herein shall prohibit bidders/proposers/protestors or individuals acting on their behalf from communicating with the purchasing staff concerning a pending solicitation unless otherwise provided for in the solicitation or unless otherwise directed by the purchasing manager."