Pensacola Bay Center Future Begins To Take Shape Following Joint Government Meeting

April 19, 2026

A better image of what the future of the Pensacola Bay Center might look like emerged during a recent joint meeting of the Escambia County Commission and the Pensacola City Council.

No final decisions were made on the $180 million project. In June, the commission is expected to discuss next steps for the design of the Bay Center renovations and the design of a new flexible event center, which will help determine the scope of the project along with next steps.

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 an attendance of 352,700.

A three-part proposal from Legends Global includes $71 million in renovations for the Bay Center, which will happen. A new ice rink, it appears, will rely upon private financing, and plans for a new event center are  still taking shape.

To see the proposal, click here.

The complete proposal as pesented included:

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 FRONT TOP