Take A Look: $189 Million Proposal For The Future of The Pensacola Bay Center

January 21, 2026

Friday, Escambia County Commissioners will discuss a $189 million plan for the future of a Pensacola Bay Center, including constructing a new multipurpose event center and building a practice ice rink on the current property with projected regional economic impact of $60 million annually

The current Bay Center, which opened in 1985, has a capacity of 8,050 for hockey and 10,000 with a center stage. It currently averages 123 annual events with and attendance of 352,700.

To see the proposal, click here.

The three-part proposal from Legends Global includes:

Pensacola Bay Center (PBC) Improvements $71 million

Exterior upgrades & façade enhancements.
New club seats (between 400 and 600).
2 new club rooms/areas.
Expanded concourses.
Expansion & improvement of F&B and retail spaces & offerings.
New/expanded LED signage offerings.
Back-of-house & central plant improvements and upgrades.
Seamless connectivity to new Practice Ice Rink and Event Center.

New Practice Ice Rink $29.8 million

Attached or connected via enclosed walkway to PBC and Event Center.
one permanent ice sheet (NHL size, 200’ x 85’) with fixed seating for between 600 and 1,000.
4 locker rooms with toilets and showers.
2 coaches/officials rooms.
2 party rooms/flex rooms.
Pro shop/first aid.
Concessions & vending space.
(Optional) Physical therapy/weight room/fitness space.
Small allotment for dryland training space/other amenities (i.e., esports, golf simulator, stickhandling station, etc.).
350 incremental parking spaces needed.

New Event Center $84.4 million

Attached or connected via enclosed walkway to
PBC & Practice Ice Rink.
55,500 net square feet (185’ x 300’), column free, concrete floor, 2 moveable airwalls allowing for subdivision into 3 halls, minimum of 35-foot ceiling height.
6,000 square feet of breakout meeting space.
Warming/prep kitchen.
Enhanced FF&E:
Portable retractable seating for 2,000.
Rollable carpet for one subdivided hall (approximately 18,500 SF).
Portable SportCourt-type athletic surface.
(Alternate) Portable hardwood courts plus climate-controlled storage on-site.
Athletic netting systems & game equipment.
Approx. 105,000 gross square feet (2.4 acres) for facility footprint.
1,200 incremental parking spaces needed.

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Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under TOP STORIES