Operation and Management of ELM Parking Garage

The Board of County Commissioners of Escambia County (County) is seeking proposals from interested and qualified firms to operate and manage its parking garage in downtown Pensacola, Florida, located at Baylen and Intendencia Streets (Garage). The Garage consists of five (5) floors with approximately 430 parking spaces (excludes approximately 30 parking spaces occupied by County vehicles and reserved for elected officials) and provides parking for County and other employees, and visitors working in the adjacent buildings Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Outside of working hours the Operator will be able to collect revenue from the parking spaces. The Operator will be proposing a revenue share with the County as outlined in this Request for Proposal (RFP).

This RFP is being released to invite interested and qualified firms to prepare and submit proposals in accordance with instructions provided herein where a successful candidate will be selected and invited to enter into a contractual relationship with the County for the services outlined in this RFP (Agreement).

In this RFP, the terms Proposer, Operator, Respondent, and Provider are used interchangeably unless the context indicates otherwise

Escambia County is the westernmost and oldest county in the state of Florida. The population was approximately 325,000 in 2022. The county seat and largest city is Pensacola. Escambia County is included within the Pensacola Metropolitan Statistical Area. The County population has steadily increased as the City of Pensacola and its surrounding bedroom communities continue to grow with residential and commercial development. The County is part of the Northwest Florida region of the state.

With snow-white sandy beaches, Pensacola has become a top tourist destination, with approximately 2.5 million visitors in 2023, substantially increasing the seasonal number of people in the County. Escambia County is home to the University of West Florida with over 14,000 students and Pensacola State College with approximately 26,000 students. With the growth in downtown Pensacola and ongoing activities and events, the County recognizes an opportunity to utilize its facility to provide additional parking at nights, weekend days, and holidays.

The Pensacola downtown area where the parking garage is located has a main shopping and restaurant corridor predominantly on Palafox Street. The Elm parking garage is one block off Palafox. The downtown area is blossoming on all fronts, with an explosion of growth and quaint shops along a colorful Crepe Myrtle lined streets. Shoppers can spend hours searching for gourmet treats, trendy clothing, hand-made jewelry, fine art, and eclectic home furnishings.

In addition to shopping and restaurants, Pensacola is host to a lot of activities that brings thousands of people downtown. These activities include, but are not limited to, a Palafox Market every Saturday, Gallery Night once a month, approximately eight (8) parades a year, Pensacon activities on Palafox, Foo Foo Festival, Winterfest, Mardi Gras.

The Garage is two (2) blocks from the Blue Wahoos Stadium, located in the Community Maritime Park, a multi-use park that includes a stadium, commercial buildings, a waterfront public park and amphitheater. The mixed-use stadium holds 5,038 people and can be used for a number of events year-round, including baseball, soccer, football, festivals, graduations, and similar events (see Attachment A). The stadium hosts the Miami Marlins Double-A affiliate, the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. The stadium is situated facing the Pensacola Bay.