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County Shifting Gears On Design Contract For $10 Million Century Shelter Project
May 19, 2026
A multimillion-dollar federal grant will bring a brand-new emergency community shelter to Century, and the Escambia County Commission is expected to make a decisive pivot this week on the project’s architectural firm.
The Escambia County Board of County Commissioners is slated to officially award a $611,840 architectural design contract to Montgomery-based firm Seay, Seay and Litchfield, P.C. during its meeting on Thursday. The contract covers the design of the new Century Community Shelter, which will be constructed at 720 Hecker Road — using the “bones” of the the former Century High School gymnasium.
The milestone follows an earlier, vital step in the project’s development. In November 2025, the county commission approved a separate $1,182,900 contract with QSC Services, LLC to provide owner’s representative alongside construction, engineering, and inspection (CEI) services, ensuring strict oversight for the multi-million dollar transformation.
While funding has remained secure, the road to securing a design firm required a sudden pivot. The county originally entered formal contract talks with top-ranked Jacobs Engineering Inc. after advertising the project in January 2026. However, after six extensive negotiation sessions reached a complete standstill, a county selection committee voted on April 27, 2026, to abruptly terminate talks and pivot to the second-ranked firm, Seay, Seay and Litchfield of Montgomery.
For more photos from our October 2025 tour, click here.
County staff hammered out a final deal with the new firm after just one round of negotiations on April 30, 2026, securing a “Best and Final Offer” of $611,840 for all design services.
The upcoming vote on May 21 will officially authorize County Administrator Wesley Moreno to execute the design contract and issue the formal purchase order so blueprints can be drafted. The agreement has already cleared local legal hurdles, receiving sign-off from the county attorney.
Preserving “Good Bones”
Built in 1960 out of steel, concrete, and solid brick, the former Century High Blackcats gym has spent years being ravaged by time and vandals. Despite heavy interior damage, officials note the building remains remarkably resilient.
“It has good bones,” Century Mayor Ben Boutwell noted during a walkthrough last year. “With a steel frame and solid brick and concrete construction, it will make a good shelter.”
County staff indicated that the building’s structural integrity appears stout enough to meet strict hurricane shelter ratings, which a structural engineer will formally verify. The finalized plans will convert the building into a fortified complex featuring an expansive multipurpose area for community meetings, shelter space, and indoor youth sports. It will also feature a full kitchen and a heavy-duty emergency generator.
The property originally belonged to Pensacola State College, which deeded the gym over to Escambia County at no cost following an environmental study. While the existing football field will be preserved for youth sports, the old remaining bleachers and a press box—severely damaged during a 2016 tornado—will be removed for safety reasons.
Pictured:Town and county officials toured the old Century High School gym in November 2025. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
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