Pensacola residents will get their first chance later this month to weigh in on the long-anticipated reopening of Bay Bluffs Park, more than a year after safety concerns closed portions of the bluffside preserve along Scenic Highway.
Mayor D.C. Reeves announced at his weekly press conference that the city will hold a listening session on Oct. 22 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Vickery Resource Center, with an online survey to follow. The city has about $2 million available to begin planning and construction under a broader $2.2 million state-funded package that requires the site be permanently dedicated to public recreation. The grant arrangement, administered in partnership with the nonprofit Conservation Florida, also means the city must follow state procurement rules that could slow timelines but ensure oversight.
Reeves emphasized that the engagement will start with a blank slate, giving residents the opportunity to help set priorities for what should be rebuilt.
“This is a very, very early stage of community engagement,” he said. “We’re not coming in with pre-planned ideas.”
The mayor tied potential reopening dates directly to the scope of what the public decides. If residents favor lower‑impact “primitive” trails and overlooks, limited access could return by late 2026.
“If you want something more complex, it might take longer to get open, and it might take more money to maintain,” Reeves said.
City officials closed sections of Bay Bluffs in March 2023 after engineers found sagging decks, broken guardrails and erosion undermining the wooden boardwalks that date back to the 1980s. Early repair estimates exceeded $1 million, far more than the city had budgeted for parks maintenance at the time. The infusion of state money last year, paired with the city’s commitment, marked the turning point that allowed the process to advance.
Reeves stressed that his administration is pushing to move quickly but wants to avoid overpromising given the grant’s requirements and the permitting challenges of building on steep bluff terrain.
“Any delay in that is not gonna be from anything across our desk,” he said. “We’ve got as much urgency to get this project done as anybody.”
He added that having secure funding up front is the main reason the project can finally move out of years of discussion and into design. “We’re grateful to have the funding,” Reeves said.
The Oct. 22 session will help determine what gets built first and how soon Bay Bluffs can safely reopen. Residents who cannot attend in person will be able to share their views through the city’s online survey, which is expected to go live the same week.
