Alcaniz Streetscape Initiative

In Spring 2004, Mr. Ray Gindroz of Urban Design Associates presented the completed Pensacola Historic District Master Plan to the City of Pensacola, the University of West Florida, the Institute of Machine & Human Cognition, and West Florida Preservation, Inc.  The Historic District Master Plan provides a framework for the redevelopment of the Pensacola Historic District and the surrounding area. The Master plan calls for improvements to the framework of streets and public open space to create an atmosphere appropriate for development and identifies a series of initiative areas in which these public improvements are coordinated with private investment. The Alcaniz Street Initiative was one of these initiative areas. The Master Plan envisions Alcaniz Street north of Garden Street as a key entryway into the Historic District lined with new mixed use development, improved streetscapes and pedestrian crossings.

While the community was still recovering from Hurricanes Ivan (2004) and Dennis (2005), the CRA staff and engineering consultants proceeded with public input, funding plan and design for Phase I of the initiative for streetscape improvements on Alcaniz Street in Old East Hill and a portion of Alcaniz and Romana Streets in the Pensacola Historic District.

Phase 1 was consisted of streetscape improvements to two street segments identified as project areas A and B and was funded over multiple fiscal years - 2004 - 2009:

* Project Area “A” on South Alcaniz Street between Garden and Intendencia Streets and on Romana Street between Alcaniz and Florida Blanca Streets was completed in Fall 2008. Streetscape improvements included full conversion of overhead utilities to underground, improved sidewalks, historic-style street lighting, landscaping and crosswalks.  Property owners funded a portion of the project through an assessment of 20% of the cost of underground utility conversion only.  

* Project Area “B” on North Alcaniz Street between Cervantes and Gregory Streets in Old East Hill was completed in Fall 2009. Improvements in this area included conversion of east-west overhead utilities (only) to underground, improved sidewalks, historic-style street lighting, landscaping and crosswalks.