A project as broad and transformative as turning 540 acres of undeveloped rural property off Nine Mile Road into the “beating heart of Beulah” likely could use a name other than “OLF 8,” and now it’s got one.
What the U.S. Navy called Outlying Field 8 due to its use as a naval aviation training facility for helicopters has been rebranded.
“We called it ‘Outlying Fields,’ and we turned the 8 on its side and created this infinity mark in this brand that we’re really proud of,” developer Chad Henderson said, partner with Tri-W Development.
In June, Escambia County agreed to sell the property to Tri-W Development and Chad C. Henderson Enterprises of Pensacola for $42.5 million.
Tri-W is a partnership that includes Henderson, founder and chief executive officer of Catalyst Healthcare Real Estate, and former Pensacola mayor Ashton Hayward, as well as Jim Wilson and Associates, a Montgomery, Alabama-based commercial real estate development company.
The developers pursued the project with the assurance they would follow the DPZ Master Plan, which includes mixed-use development including light industrial job creation, as well as commercial and residential development revolving around a town center with amenities within walking distance like shops, restaurants and other services.
Henderson says they’re moving in the right direction, and so far, work is going according to plan.
“There are going to be five distinct districts,” Henderson said. “A town center district that is very much aligned with our promise to create a beating heart of Beulah, which would be a walkable mixed-use environment where the ground floors are activated, and it has a Main Street feel.”
The other districts include a commerce district for retail, a community district to embrace Beulah’s woodlands and wetlands with walkable trails, a residential district also designed to be walkable, and the Employment, Technology and Innovation (ETI) district that is focused on job creation.
“Although we’re making great strides, we’ve assembled a fantastic team of experts to do so,” Henderson said, “but certainly we’re just excited about announcing the brand in our districts.”
Bringing the DPZ Master Plan to life
Beulah resident Theresa Blackwell has closely followed the county’s plans and sale of the property for years, and she is excited about how Tri-W intends to develop it, especially since it will be unlike anything else in the area.
She says it is everything she has advocated for in the project including New Urbanism, a design movement that promotes the creation of walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods with diverse housing options and development that encourages community interaction, supports local economies, and reduces car dependency.
“It is transformative for Beulah,” Blackwell said. “We can make Beulah a place that is complete on unto itself. They also want to preserve those woodlands and wetlands. That has been a crucial point for me, that that can be our Central Park. It’s invaluable. It’s something you can organize around, and it just adds value to everything around it, and the people will love it.”
She also appreciates plans to incorporate the property’s military history like preserving the pinnacle landing pad, essentially a big lump of dirt where helicopter pilots would practice landing on a small, elevated surface.
“They envisioned it being a park area, and then the kids could roll down the hill or run up and down it,” Blackwell said. “I think that landing pad is a key to the identity of that field. It’s historical, and they may have some kind of marker talking about the history of what it is. That’s just so cool.”
Where Tri-W is in the sale process
Tri-W is currently in the due diligence phase of the project, which means they’re gathering information to move it forward including conducting a topographic survey, as well as traffic, wetland and geotechnical studies, and an economic feasibility impact study.
In December, Tri-W’s $100,00 earnest deposit money goes hard, and Henderson believes they’ll close on the property about six months after that.
Henderson said there may be some amendments to the Master Plan, but overall, he said they will stay true to the spirit of it.
“If anything, we’re tightening the plan up to ensure quality,” Henderson said. “We’re building on the good work that’s already been done.”
They plan to release more information on each of the districts over the next six weeks as well as progress on the due diligence process.
Want to know more?
If you’d like to learn more about the project you can visit their website, outlyingfields.com, and follow their “Outlying Fields” social media accounts for updates on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: OLF 8 rebranded as ‘Outlying Fields’ the ‘beating heart of Beulah.’ Here’s what’s planned.
Reporting by Mollye Barrows, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
