The Wake up Call for Friday: Martha Holden, President of Impact 100 of the Pensacola Bay Area

Today on the wake-up call live on WPNN 103.7 we discussed state, local, national, and international topics of interest.  We also welcomed onto the show Impact 100 of the Pensacola Bay President Martha Holden—who gave us an update on her membership drive and all the great things her organization is doing in our community. We discussed the upcoming Super Bowl and the Halftime performance by Kendrick Lamar. 

In addition to this, we discussed

-local news and information

-Attorney General Pam Bondi going after “Sanctuary City” blue-state Governors and Mayors  

-NFL Hall of Fame snubs two-time, Super Bowl winning MVP Eli Manning

-Shohei Otani's interpreter sentenced to 5 years for stealing $17 Million

-Kamala Harris’ word-salad interview released un-cut by CBS in wake of lawsuit by Trump

-Federal Judge blocking federal employee buyout offers

-OLF 8 Deal is devolving

And much more….

You can hear a complete recording of today’s live show here.

We are live each weekday morning from 6:00AM-8:00AM on WPNN-Pensacola's Information Station, where local, conservative morning-drive talk radio is ALIVE and Well and where we give you the most powerful hour(s) in local morning drive talk radio.

News, weather, traffic, humor, and educated, intelligent discourse with no PC filters....

The Wakeup Call with Jeff Bergosh on WPNN FM 103.7:  Radio UNRESTRAINED.

On the Monica Sanford Podcast: Unrestrained

I sat down earlier this month for an interview with the Monica Sanford Podcast.  The episode dropped yesterday on her site where you can listen if you are so inclined.

Listen to the podcast here.

---OLF 8 discussion

---Rayme Edler's lawsuit discussion

---EMS issues with the county over the years

---No Growthers and Nimbys Discussion

---Election Liars discussion

---Is Pre-K the best way to spend academic educational dollars

---elected vs appointed school superintendent discussion

---is it really poverty that drives lower school achievement--or is it actually social dysfunction in pockets of our community?

---how my live, local radio show "The Wake up Call with Jeff Bergosh"  on WPNN 103.7 FM came into existence

---and lots more

no holds barred, no pills sugared, UNRESTRAINED

What are the Initial Concerns from Staff Regarding the Latest OLF 8 Offer?

 Attorney Alison Rogers sent Board Members the below review of the contract from Tri-W Development, LLC., and CAH Developments, LLC., late Friday afternoon for the purchase of 540 acres at OLF 8.  These points will be discussed Thursday during the board's meeting.

I'll be on Real News with Rick Outzen This Morning Discussing the Multiple Offers for OLF 8

I'll be on at 7:00 with Rick Outzen and Sena Madison on the station with the BEST up and down News Talk line up---AM 1370 WCOA

I've been asked once again to appear as the lead off guest on the area's best, most trusted, accurate, and widely listened-to morning drive news talk program---"Real News with Rick Outzen" on AM1370 WCOA.

I'll be on this morning at 7:00AM discussing the latest offer sent to the BCC---a $36 Million Dollar offer for the whole field.

Should be an interesting discussion.  Tune in live at 7:00 or catch the podcast here once Rick publishes it.

New Offer Received Today for OLF 8: $36 Million for the Whole 540 Acres

 Staff just received the below offer today for the entire OLF-8 field.  We will have to go through it and there are some issues that would have to be worked if we were to accept it (e.g. the Triumph Grant for Frank Reeder Road and some infrastructure improvements on the field might not happen as these grants are only allowable on government owned-properties).  We will also have to see how the Master Plan that is already in our ordinances will be followed by this new offeror.  So some issues to work through but if we were to sell for this amount, we would realize more than a $20 Million dollar "profit" for the taxpayers--and this firm has a great reputation.  So we will see.

Interestingly--they are offering a donation of between 15-25 acres to the school board for a school to be built on the site.

This offer will be on our next agenda, this coming Thursday.

Can the Beulah Town Center Offer's Deficiencies be Overcome?

We did receive a revised offer from Beulah Town Center for the 290 acres of OLF 8 that the county will be selling for development guided by the DPZ Master Plan.  The revised offer included a price jump from $20 Million to $25 Million--which is a great thing.  But staff has now completed an analysis of the offer, and there appears to be a number of issues remaining.  Frustratingly--some of these issues were identified earlier, deleted by the county because they were "non-starters" --but now added back into the latest Beulah Town Center offer.

We have gone back and forth enough, and at this stage of the negotiations---the board should not be having to deal with issues we have already flagged.  If the offeror cannot overcome these--just tell us.  Similarly, if the county's language in some sections is unreasonable--the offeror needs to enunciate this at Monday's meeting.

But for the offeror to put back into this revised offer items which the BCC specifically cannot accept due to statutory reasons---why in the world are they back in this offer?

Folks on BOTH sides of this proposed transaction need to iron every one of these bullet points out prior to Monday so we are not, once again, trying to push a wet noodle up a hill on this.  It is time to fish or cut bait--no more Kabuki Theater.....Produce a contract we (the BCC) can make an up or down vote on!      Here are the county's objections--(from staff):

·       BTC adds back/deletes much of what was deleted/added in the County’s previous draft.

·       BTC increases the purchase price from $20,000,000 to $25,000,000.  (Section 2)

·       BTC increases the deposit from $20,000 to $25,000, with an additional $250,000 deposit upon approval of BTC’s preliminary site plan.  (Section 3)

·       There is really no situation where BTC will be unable to recover the deposit if the transaction does not close. (Sections 3.2, 5.4, 6.4, 8.1)

·       BTC does not commit to build anything or adhere to the master plan prepared by DPZ CoDesign.  Instead, it defers that issue to be resolved by a Master Development Agreement and Declaration of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions that will be negotiated after the Purchase and Sale agreement. (Sections 3.2, 7.2, 8.1)

·       BTC requires all development approvals ahead of closing and incorporated in the Master Development Agreement.  (Sections 7.2, 8.1)

·       BTC deletes references to the provisions, covenants, and other duties and obligations in the quit claim deed from the USA to the County; the quit claim deed from the USA requires the County to incorporate those references in subsequent transactions.  (Section 5.2)

·       The Agreement makes several references to warranties of title; the County cannot provide warranties of title by statute. (Sections 7.2, 9.1, 13.1)

·       The Agreement requires the County to pay the documentary stamp tax; the County is precluded from paying these by statute. (Section 10.2)

·       The Agreement contains several provisions that require the County to indemnify and hold BTC harmless and pay its attorney’s fees in the event of default, breach, or other dispute. (Sections 13.1, 19, 30)

·       BTC requires the remedy of specific performance for breach, default, or otherwise refusing to pursue its obligations in the Agreement. (Section 14)

·       The County would be required to pay all BTC’s actual damages (i.e., all out-of-pocket costs) if the County does not close.  (Section 14.3)

·       BTC requires the County to record a restriction on the County’s northern remainder of the property to light-industrial uses; the County would not be able to allow the use of the remainder for residential or retail purposes without the written consent of BTC.  (Sections 7.2 and 13.1)

·       BTC requires a right-of-first refusal for the County’s northern remainder of the property.  (Section 12)

OLF 8 Updates: Beulah Town Center Offer Increases to $25 Million

The Beulah TownCenter LLC group have sent over a revised contract for the board's consideration for the purchase of 290 Acres of OLF 8 in Beulah.

I am told this revised contract will be on Monday's BCC agenda for our consideration.

In addition to a higher offer price, I am also told some language has been revised to meet what the board has requested in several meetings where we have considered previous offers.

Additionally--I was contacted by representatives of a new interested party.  This large development firm based in Alabama will be visiting the Pensacola area next week and I am told they are very interested in the OLF 8 property.

In addition to these two, we still have an offer on the table from two local individuals which the board is considering.

So the OLF 8 sale/development issue is once again heating up.  My hope is that we will soon be able to settle in on one of these offers and move this initiative forward.  If we are able to sell the 290 acres at $25 Million--this will be an immediate $10 Million Dollar windfall for our LOST fund that will provide monies for badly-needed infrastructure projects district wide.  In addition to this, such an agreement still leaves over 200 acres for the county to utilize for job creation on the northern portion of OLF 8--and everything that is developed on the southern portion of the parcel will immediately begin to generate ad valorem tax revenue for the county and the school board.

So good things are coming, stay tuned.

BCC Receives Fresh Offer for OLF-8: $22.5 Million and 6-Months Due Diligence

Commissioners were notified today that the Chairman of the BCC and the county is in receipt of a new offer for OLF 8.  This will be on the agenda for discussion at Monday morning's BCC meeting.  Check out the letter of intent, below.  This is the eighth group that has expressed interest in the property..........

Could a HistoricChurch be a Prominent Component of the Beulah Town Center on OLF 8

 Late last week I had the opportunity to sit down and talk with the Pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Pensacola, Mr. Geoffrey Lentz.  

We had a pleasant conversation about multiple topics, one of which was the pastor's desire to bring an historic church, brick by brick, out to Beulah.  

I love the idea, and he even expressed an interest in rebuilding the historic property on OLF 8 in the town center section of the development which will occur one day.  

Although that would have to be worked out with the eventual buyer of OLF 8--I nevertheless love the idea.  "Some developments go to great lengths to re-create historic looking structures--I actually want to bring an actual historic building, more than 100 years old, to Beulah" said the pastor.  

While he is looking at multiple properties in Beulah, he would certainly consider OLF 8 if the opportunity presented itself.

We talk a lot about the sorts of amenities residents want out here in Beulah; restaurants, retail, parks, green space, a post office, etc.  But every community needs an assortment of places to worship.  Thankfully we already have a number of excellent churches in Beulah.  But there is always room for more.  

So we will see what happens.  In the midst of so much drama, strife, and uncertainty this week, In Escambia County and the nation and world, too------- having a conversation with Pastor Lentz added just the right amount of balance and perspective to level-out this week.

We will see what happens with his proposal.

Read more about it, below.

$22 Million: BCC Receives an Updated Purchase and Sale Agreement (PSA) for 290 Acres at OLF 8 by Beulah TownCenter LLC

Conceptual Image of Beulah TownCenter, LLC's development plan for 290 acres of OLF 8

Commissioners were notified late yesterday afternoon of the receipt of a revised offer from Beulah TownCenter LLC for purchase of 290 acres of OLF 8.  The new, 25 page offer ups the good faith deposit to $500,000.00 cash and a $500,000.00 Letter of Credit.  The new due diligence period is 6 months, with an option to extend.  And the new purchase price is $22 Million Dollars for the 290 acres, or $75,862 per acre.

The BCC will be discussing this latest offer from Beulah Town Center LLC at our Thursday meeting.

Some very positive aspects of this offer:

1.  Adhearance to the Master Plan

2.  Leaving 250 Acres on the northern portion of the land for job creation

3.  Retail and Restaurants on the frontage, along with potential for a big box, big name retail store that everyone will celebrate

4.  A Town Center amenity for the community

5.  Area set aside for addition of Tennis Courts adjacent to NFCU's park facility

6.  New revenue for the county via the development of the field which currently generates zero property tax or other revenue for the County.

Some issues which must be worked:

1.  Funding for the design and construction of the Boulevard Entrance

2.  Top line price

3.  Working out the escrow agreement and when the deposit goes "hard."  Exhibit "C" was blank....

I look forward to the discussion this Thursday.  Could be a big step forward for our county!

Read the 25 page PSA here

Updated, Increased Offer for OLF 8 Submitted Yesterday Afternoon

Precision Capital sent a revised $21 Million Dollar offer to the BCC yesterday.  Read it, below.

New, Revised LOI Received for OLF 8 Property From Beulah TownCenter LLC

 We were notified yesterday that a revised letter of intent (LOI) was sent to the county yesterday for our OLF 8 property.  See the revised LOI below:

On 1370 WCOA's Real News with Rick Outzen Tomorrow Morning at 7:00 AM

I'll be speaking live tomorrow at 7:00 AM on the kickoff-morning show on the fastest-growing audience cultivating station--of all formats AM or FM--in the Pensacola-area  market.  1370 WCOA.

I've once again been asked to start the week as the lead off guest on the area's fastest-growing, best, most-relevant, highest-rated, most entertaining, and most widely-trusted morning drive news talk radio program, "Real News with Rick Outzen" on the area's best talk station AM 1370 WCOA.

I'll be on at 7:00 AM Monday morning.

There were a flurry of important, newsworthy issues bubbling up late last week as we all head into a notoriously slow news climate ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday........ This could make for some good, entertaining and illuminating discussion tomorrow morning; I will be fully prepared to discuss any of it or all of it--- if Rick wishes to do so.  

One interesting aspect of coming on Rick's program, as compared to others I have been asked to be on in the past--is that Rick rarely previews what issues he wants to discuss.  There are no pre-prepared topics sent out in advance, so the discussion can be real, raw, honest and spontaneous.  So, some serious issues might very well be on tap for tomorrow morning's show.

Or---- we might just talk Turkey.  

Who knows?  After all, the news cycle takes a 7 day hiatus starting tomorrow....

Listen live at 7:00 AM and find out.  

I will post the podcast here once it is published.

New LOI for County's OLF 8 Property: $20 Million for $375 Acres + Option(s) of $12 Million Additionally for the Balance of Land

This rendering, indicating a proposed rough draft of the site plan envisioned for OLF 8 by the buyer Beulah Town Center, LLC., was included with the buyer's  Letter of Intent

Friday afternoon the BCC received another Letter of Intent (LOI) from a development group for the purchase of the county's OLF 8 property in Beulah.  I am linking the four page LOI (below), as well as the initially proposed rendering of a site plan (above).  

Although this property is in my district--OLF 8 is a county asset acquired to provide a benefit to the entire county.  Additionally, I am only one vote on this board--- and I am certain my counterparts are looking over this offer as I am doing and I'm equally certain they will each have their own thoughts, comments, questions, and concerns. I have looked over the offer and I believe there are some pros and cons to it, in my opinion.  I would assume that the board will take up this offer at our next regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday, December 7th.  Meanwhile, these are my initial thoughts, below:

The pros:  

-follows spirit of Master Plan

-enhanced stormwater mitigation/more stormwater ponds

-NO single-family housing

-Town Center concept embraced

-Allows for the county to pursue a Triumph Gulf Coast Grant for job creation on the norhtern part of the property

-brings a true, mixed use development to the Beulah area complete with restaurants, retail and other amenities for nearby residents

The cons:

-Price per acre for the most valuable, southern portions and the road frontage of the field should be higher

-request to rezone the parcel to agricultural until development cammences may be unfeasible

-earnest deposit amount specified is insufficient, and a portion of it must go hard after an initial inspection period

-12 month due dilligence period is too long.

Here are the LOI documents received by the Board:

I'll be on "Real News with Rick Outzen" on WCOA tomorrow Morning

I've been invited to appear as the lead off guest tomorrow morning on the area's best, most listened-to, accurate, honest, and trusted morning drive news program--"Real News with Rick Outzen" on WCOA.

We will discuss the upcoming BCC meeting this Thursday and also the idea of a high school on OLF 8 which is an idea that has been proposed by the school district.

We may also discuss some other issues as well-----given the events of this evening.

Listen in at 7:00 or check out the podcast, here, once Rick posts it.

D.R. Horton Pulls out of OLF 8 Purchase Negotiations

From our attorney's office this afternoon comes this forwarded email from the law firm representing D.R. Horton in the effort to purchase OLF 8:

"Alison and Steve:

 I apologize for the delay in getting back to you on this matter, but D.R. Horton has been looking at multiple scenarios in an effort to make this project work, both for the residents of Escambia County and for Horton from a financial perspective.  Unfortunately, Horton has come to the conclusion that there are too many obstacles to overcome in the limited amount of time being granted.  Horton believes that the engineering, due diligence and governmental approvals necessary to make this project feasible cannot be accomplished within the County’s desired timeframe. 

 From Horton’s perspective, the current Master Plan that exists for the property does not allow for Horton to pursue a financially viable development.  The changes to the Master Plan and other associated approvals and entitlements (both at the local and state levels) that would be necessary to convert this project into something that can be developed for commercial and residential purposes and in an economically viable manner pose more risk and uncertainty than Horton is willing to bear at this time.

 Horton believes that Escambia County, and especially the Beulah and Cantonment submarkets, are vital to the continued success of Northwest Florida, and the OLF-8 property is by far the most valuable location in this market.  If the County were willing to entertain changes to the Master Plan that Horton believes are needed, Horton would very much be interested in participating in the future development of this site.

 Based on the foregoing, Horton hereby withdraws its offer on the OLF-8 property.  We would like to thank you and the other representatives of Escambia County who have worked on this matter for all of the time and effort that has been put into this matter and for allowing Horton the opportunity to pursue this matter.  We certainly wish that it had worked out differently

 Sincerely,

Chris"

Christopher M. Gill

Has the New Auction for OLF 8 Begun?

As I had anticipated would be the case--the BCC has now received a fresh offer for all 540 acres of OLF 8 for the tidy sum of $40 Million Dollars. (and I anticipate several more in the coming weeks)

In this particular, very bare bones, three page offer (see it below)--no mention of the DPZ Master Plan--but multiple requests for full cooperation in rezoning the property, achieving preliminary site plan approvals, and amending the comprehensive plan.  So there is that.

-120 day inspection period requested

-total of $1 Million in earnest money, with an additional $100,000 that goes hard after several steps are taken and after the inspection period.

-Three (3) 30-day extensions requested.

I see some issues with the offer, chief among them is the guidance that the BCC already gave signalling that we will reserve 250 acres for job creation--so I would expect that this offer will have to be re-tooled.

Some of the speakers at recent meeting should be ecstatic.  It is someone other than DR Horton.....

We will see what the full board chooses to do with this offer--as this decision is up to the full 5-member board.

Here's the Deal......

Numerous folks have asked for it, I have asked the county attorney if it is a releasable public record and she told me it is---so here it is.

Read the latest offer from D.R. Horton to the BCC for the purchase of 297 acres of OLF 8.

$24.1 Million

Read it here

I'll be on 1370 WCOA at 7:00 This Morning Discussing DR Horton Offer for OLF 8

I'll be on the area's most factual, trusted, and highest rated morning drive news program "Real News with Rick Outzen"  this morning at 7:00 AM to discuss the OLF 8 offer in detail...

Rick Outzen, host of the area's best, most connected, most accurate, most insightful, most listened-to and most trusted morning drive news show "Real News with Rick Outzen"--has asked me to come on the show this morning at 7:00 AM to give insight into the latest DR Horton offer for the county's OLF 8 property in Beulah.

My intention is to go through the offer piece by piece with Rick so his listeners will know exactly where we stand with this deal, how we got here, and where we are headed.

Listen live this morning at 7:00 -- or download the podcast which, once posted, I will link here.

Deal for OLF 8: Response from Stirling/Horton Coming Tuesday

Mark Twain once famously stated, toward the end of his life, that "Reports of my passing have been greatly exaggerated."  Ditto for the OLF-8 Sale agreement.....reports of its demise have been greatly exaggerated.

There have been rumors.  Speculation has run rampant.

Folks that don't want the OLF-8 deal to go through worry about what will be built.

Still others spread propaganda that the deal is DEAD.

So I worked the phones late last week and called some folks that are in the know.

As the old Mark Twain trope goes,  "Rumors of the deal's passing have been greatly exaggerated" 

Here's the real deal.  Stirling and Horton are both still in the deal, according to what I was told Friday.  Apparently, there was a different, unrelated deal that Horton was working and it consumed time/effort to bring in for a landing.  That deal apparently has been resolved.  And they have now been focusing on re-tooling their response to the latest BCC counter where we also stipulated we are holding back 250 acres for job creation.

According to some--that scared these offerors out of the deal.

Not so, according to those that know.  Nope.  The deal is on, and the BCC should have the latest offer for consideration this coming Tuesday by close of business.

Stay tuned--I will post it the minute I receive it.