Escambia County’s long-debated OLF-8 property in Beulah now has a name and a new website. Developers are calling it “Outlying Fields” and describing it as “transformational, multi-generational, mixed-use development designed as a place with soul.”
Catalyst Healthspan and Jim Wilson and Associates this week announced plans for the project. It is expected to include five districts with housing, retail, offices, and an area for technology and innovation.
Catalyst CEO Chad Henderson said the project is about more than construction.
“Outlying Fields will be a place with soul, honoring Northwest Florida’s authenticity, natural beauty, and the people who bring our community to life,” Henderson said in the press release. “We are proud to create a destination that will drive Escambia County and greater Pensacola’s economy forward while leaving a lasting legacy for generations to come.”
Beulah community advocate Theresa Blackwell said she spoke with Henderson after the announcement. According to her, Henderson told her that “we are in it to win it,” and that the company has already spent more than a million dollars on the due diligence process.
“They would lose all that if they did not go forward,” she said.
For Blackwell, the key is making sure the project remains rooted in Beulah’s character while taking advantage of what she calls the transformative potential of the land.
Blackwell added that Catalyst’s early concepts appear to line up with the community’s existing master plan, which is based on New Urbanist design.
“Basically, that is designing for people and all modes of transportation, not just cars,” she said. “And creating places where people interact naturally, interesting, unique and lovable places.”
Developers say more details and design renderings will be released in phases over the coming months.
