I wonder of the Ball Park has anything to do with this? Surely not.

It seems not too long ago I heard that the CMPA was going to be the catalyst for a Booming down town restaurant and Bar scene.  People would flock from the games and over whelm the downtown area with business.  We were assured that Food concessions at the stadium would only enhance the Down Town food businesses.  Now it appears that is too  little  pie for all the  food Joints.  To my untrained eye it appears that Mr Studer got his share of the pie with over  a million(?) dollars in food/beer sales.  I have to be wrong.  I know Rick O would not leave out such a fact.  So why then if the Ball Park is such a blessing, are the local Down Town businesses not showing it?

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Outtakes—Grow the Pie

The recent controversy over food trucks in downtown Pensacola has brought to the surface a problem that city officials and the Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) have avoided discussing publicly. Downtown restaurants and nightclubs are struggling.

Three months after the Mayor Ashton Hayward celebrated Palafox being one of the “10 Great Streets in America,” owners along the street are sharing with the Independent News that 2013 was not a very good year for them. We have been told that revenues were either only slightly up or they were down 10 percent for the year.

Most blame the influx of new restaurants and bars along Palafox over the past 15 months. They argue that the “pie” is only so big, and the new competition is making their “slice” smaller and smaller every month.  And as we published recently (Independent News, “Ch-ch-change,” Jan. 16), more establishments are coming.

The food trucks are being fought because they are seen by some of the restaurant owners as the possible “death blow” to their future on Palafox. They say that Pensacola isn’t Austin, New Orleans or Tampa. Our city, specifically, doesn’t have the population to support food trucks and “brick and mortar” eateries, according to them.

I see the issue differently. Instead of restricting competition, city hall should be trying to grow the “pie,” and direct the DIB to spend more of its budget on marketing downtown.

The mayor appoints all DIB members. The board is funded with an assessment charged to all property owners inside its district. The time has come, or maybe the better words are “has returned,” for that board to focus on marketing — not parking, property values and infrastructure.

Nearly half a million residents live within an hour’s drive of downtown Pensacola —
more than enough to support downtown Pensacola businesses.

Events like Gallery Night and Wine Walks are simply vitamin shots for the downtown businesses that keep them alive until the next event, but those too will become less effective over time. Such events should only be a part of a more comprehensive and consistent effort to draw customers to downtown.

The DIB should pull off the shelf the Retail Strategy Plan developed in 2007 by Marketing Developments, Inc. The Palafox Market was one its recommendations, but there were more that could attract more people to downtown on a regular basis.

This area has more than enough potential customers to support downtown Pensacola. Mayor Hayward, DIB and the downtown business owners need to work together to go after them. Grow the pie.

He is correct....with the increased downtown traffic there are a great many more restaurants, and food carts, and one would expect a decrease in business with so many choices, but marketing will only increase the size of the pie which is a good thing.

The question is " Did the ball park reduce the size of the pie?"

Wrong question again. The question is simple. What were the sales tax receipts for food and beverage in Pensacola in 2011. What were they in 2012 and 2013. I am certain if you take the time to answer your own question you will see significant increases in the same.

2013

Attributed to Property Tax & Local Business Tax
Revenues
•
Franchise Fees & Public Service Tax
-
-
$74,700
or
1.298% Down
•
Half
-
Cent Sales Tax
–
+$14,900
or 0.99% Up
•
Communication Services Tax
–
+$1,500
or 0.10%
Up
•
Municipal Revenue Sharing
–
+$10,400
or 0.94


Community Maritime Park Management Services Fund
(Continued)

Non
-
Agreement
–
Grand Opening Event of Community
Maritime Park

Rescheduled for November 17, 2012

Donations
-
$100,250

Additional donations are anticipated, but have not
been received.

Grand opening expenditures exceeded donations by
$37,212

Consultant reviewing financial aspects of Community
Maritime Park

Operating subsidy needed by fiscal year end
-
$300,000

Security Services outside the stadium total $47,03

The question is very specific and it is a good indicator on total pie. You need to get the food and beverage sales tax dollars and compare.

Half
-
Cent Sales Tax
–
+$14,900
or 0.99% Up


I think a person would need to see if they can break out sales tax dollars on food and beverages. Any discussion of the food carts should have a baseline to determine if in fact the pie has gotten bigger.

Grocery sales tax or a tv at best buy would not give you clean numbers for a fair analysis.

As usual scurrying away when a nuts and bolt factual statistic can answer the question. Simple answer.....what were the sales tax revenues for food and beverage in the city pre ballpark and post ballpark. You claim that the pie has gotten smaller. Easy to show me your proof.......no need to run away like you did on the attendance at the ballpark.....you probably had a future as a politician as often as you change the subject when confronted with a simple factual question.

I never stated an attendance figure.  But you know that.  Read Rick Os article.  He and the businesses owners downtown are making that assumption.

By Michael Lombardi, MBA for Profit Confidential

budget deficitI’ve been talking for some time about U.S. municipalities and their budget deficit problems. Just recently, I cited a Moody’s Investor Services study that highlighted how the number of bankruptcies has doubled in the last two years after remaining steady over the previous 30 years!

Unfortunately, the cracks are starting to widen with budget deficits.

Pensacola, Florida, is situated at the westernmost point in the Florida Panhandle. With it being the envy of many outside of the city because of its location, the roughly 55,000 residents would probably argue otherwise when discussing the municipality’s budget deficit and the payments on their municipal bonds.

The pension liabilities of Pensacola are mounting to the point where, this year, the property taxes that the city takes in are not enough to cover the payout of pensions. This is before all of the other expenses and services the city has to deal with in the budget deficit.

The budget deficit facing the city is enormous. The solutions being tabled are going to be painful if instituted, but necessary when one considers that the pension fund is deeply underfunded due to the market crash of 2008 and low interest rates, worsening the budget deficit.

The options the city is tabling include raising taxes, cutting pension benefits, and raising the retirement age to be eligible for benefits (the norm with most municipalities these days). Naturally, none of these are sitting well with the unions and Pensacola’s citizens—budget deficits and municipal bonds be damned.

I guess I will have to take the Time Friday to research the simple question.....not real high on my priorities. Probably a call over to city hall will get me the budget document.