Proposed World Gym Development Won’t Be The End Of Cantonment Pumpkin Patch

March 10, 2025

The proposed development of a new World Gym in Cantonment won’t be the end of a family favorite pumpkin patch, organizers say.

The Allen Memorial Methodist Men Pumpkin Patch will mark the 35th year of the annual pumpkin patch on Highway 29 near Neal Road.

As we reported last week, World Gym is proposing to construct a facility on the property, but the men’s group says the new property owner will carve out an area for the pumpkin sale.

The church confirmed that they are in the process of selling the property, but they will keep a small parcel of land for the pumpkins. “In fact, we already have a delivery date for the 2025 pumpkin season.”

“We look forward to seeing our old friends who return every year and the new friends we have yet to meet. See you in the fall and may God bless you all,” the group said in a statement.

Developers have proposed a 30,000-square-foot commercial building on the undeveloped 18.8 acre site. The building at 1275 North Highway 29 will house World Gym’s health and fitness building along with two other spaces that will be leased with 103 parking spaces. The facility’s parking lot with 103 spaces will be accessible from both Neal Road and Highway 29.

The proposal was filed with Escambia County recently and is set for a pre-application meeting with the Escambia County Development Review Committee on Wednesday.

World Gym currently operates a 6,583 square foot gym in a building constructed in 1945 at 110 South Highway 29, at the railroad cross and across from International Paper. The company has not announced if that location will close if the new facility is constructed. There is a second Escambia County location of the international brand on North Ninth Avenue.

NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

2 Responses to “Proposed World Gym Development Won’t Be The End Of Cantonment Pumpkin Patch”

  1. JJ on March 10th, 2025 5:39 pm

    Pray for common sense here. ALLOW ONLY ENTRANCE FROM 29,all exits must be onto NEAL RD. with a new traffic light.
    I saw a log truck cross 29 into the Tom Thumb parkin lot last week. HWLD TRAFFIC UP COMING OFF OF MUSCOGEE RD.

  2. L. B. on March 10th, 2025 1:50 pm

    Thank God for Pastor Edwards and his thinking of the people along with the feeding of his Mission. “When I was Hungry you feed me”, keep the Pumpkin Patch for the people.





Have a comment on this story?

We welcome your comments on this story, but there are some rules to follow::

(1) Be Nice. No comments that slander another, no racism, no sexism, no personal attacks.

(2) No Harrassing Comments. If someone says something bad about you, don't respond. That's childish.

(3) No Libel. That's saying something is not true about someone. Don't do it.

(4) Keep it clean. Nothing vulgar, obscene or sexually related. No profanity or obvious substitutions. Period.

(5) NorthEscambia.com reserves the right to remove any comments that violate our rules or we think to be inappropriate. We are not responsible for what is posted. Comments may not appear right away until they are approved by a moderator.

(6) Limit your comments to the subject in this story only, and limit comments to 300 words or less. Do not post copyrighted material. Comments will not be added to stories that are over 30 days old.

(7) No posts may advertise a commercial business, political candidate or political group, or link to another commercial web site or political site of any kind.