Latest Headlines
- Expanded $3.1 Million Highway 4A Roadway Safety Project Nearly Complete
- Tate High Girls Win District Track And Field Championship
- Tate Softball Legacy: Aggies Honor Retiring Head Coach Melinda Wyatt
- Families Connect With Resources At North Escambia Baby Shower
- Four Charged In Saturday Morning Alabama Prison Smuggling Attempt
- Former School Employee Pleads Guilty To Federal Child Sex Charges
- Tate Aggies To Face Gulf Breeze In Flag Football District Quarterfinals
- Pensacola Bay Center Future Begins To Take Shape Following Joint Government Meeting
- Blue Wahoos’ Bats Explode In 13-4 Blowout Win
- Suspect In Cantonment Homicide Captured At Bus Stop In Phoenix
Escambia Lowers OLF-8 Selling Price By $14 Million, Keeps 171 Acres For Job Creation
March 27, 2026
The Escambia County Commission voted on Thursday to revise a purchase contract for the OLF-8 property on Nine Mile Road, keeping about one-third of acreage while lowering the purchase price.
Last year, the Escambia County Commissioners approved the $42.5 million sale of 540 acres of OLF-8 to Tri-W Development and Chad C. Henderson Enterprises of Pensacola.
The county will keep about 171 acres and lower the purchase price to $28,429,000, which is a $14,071,000 reduction.
Henderson said the plan will create a partnership with the county, giving it more control of job creation in an Employment Technology Innovation (ETI) District. He said the county is in a position to secure funding, grants, or even Triumph money.
The county commissioner voted 4-0 on Thursday, with Commissioner Mike Kohler voice support, but abstained from voting due to a previous campaign contribution from developers during a fundraiser just two days before the meeting.
“It’s not about a price reduction,” Henderson said during Thursday’s commission meeting “It’s not about because we don’t want to buy the 171 acres or we bit off more than we can chew. This is about curated approach to make sure we a have the best chance to have the successful outcomes.”
Once the official purchase agreement is revised, it will return to the commission for final consideration.
Comments
17 Responses to “Escambia Lowers OLF-8 Selling Price By $14 Million, Keeps 171 Acres For Job Creation”
A lot of taxpayer money being thrown around here and there and very little to show for it . For the county as a whole !
That discretionary fund is peanuts compared to the kick back the commissioners are going to get off this sale even if they give it away on books . County fails and commissioners succeed .
I want to pay less too…ON MY TAXES! But there’s no negotiating that. I will say this, I will make it a point to advocate NOT to vote for ANY of these sneaky commissioners. This reminds me of years ago commissioners passing a pot of money and all the nonsense that went with it! Sickening!
What should be reviewed to make sure the revised land deal is fair and legal, is whether the new price matched the smaller amount of land sold and whether taxpayers received full value. Also, what risks does the county take on paying for infrastructure, whether the deal changed unfairly after bidding, and whether the county took on other financial risks that should have stayed with the developer. Home rule allows amending the contract but this needs to be investigated by the IG to answer these questions.
This is not what we want in Beulah. The developer should have either paid the full price and complied with the Beulah master plan, or, the county should have cancelled the contract and gone back to allowing bids.
So the the others bid on one set of conditions, now the local boys get to change the terms and cherry picker. Sounds like a lawsuit.
It seems that most here feel this is not the best decision the county commissioners could have made and I tend to agree. The bear solution is to be educated before you vote and choose the candidate with the best ability to make decisions that benefit the citizens.
“We bit off more than we can chew”
Broken promises.
(Just as soon as I have fifty-two million dollars to throw around — or even a mere 28.429 million — I will try to be more responsible, thoughtful, and honest
As it is others who might have bid more for the adjusted purchase are not allowed to bid. It sounds flawed somehow.)
I hope the county gets the pick of the land.
Would be a good spot for a new Bay Center.
Sounds like W.D and Willie all over again
This transaction is great material for a screenplay or a teleplay . It could be called the OLF-5 , Escambia Cosa Nostra , Gambinos investments , Political fundraiser strategies , all local writers encourage to participate . Great opportunity for nonfiction , and fiction writers .
You have got to be kidding. How much in the open can a person be without being under investigation. Commissioner Mike Kohler insults and made light of State Representative Michelle Salzman traumatic past experience she will never outlive. Then he “accepts monies” (presumably payoffs, my opinion) two days prior during a fundraiser. Well…That is transparency. Do it in the open. My opinion
orignal price: $78,703/acre.
new price: $77,043/acre.
If you are keeping the property abutting 9-mile road, arguably the most expensive acreage, and giving back the property in the back, the least expensive property, the price per acre should go up, not down. All they did was give back the property they don’t want to develop and were rewarded in the process.
The county should place a Fire/EMS station with a helicopter landing pad on part of that 171 acres.
Here we go again…
Has the BoCC reached the point where the cost of maintaining, marketing, planning, purchase, etc, etc, etc of OLF-8 has exceeded any hope of profit for the county?
Mr Haney from Green Acres !