There really was a pool

Hey, NAIOP folks: Remember when he said something about a pool on the level up from us? It wasn't a joke.

I attended my first NAIOP meeting on Wednesday. The group’s mission is to be the leading organization in Northwest Florida for developers, owners, and related professionals in office, industrial, retail and mixed-use real estate. I enjoyed seeing so many familiar faces and meeting a lot of new people. 

NAIOP went on a tour of One Palafox Place this morning led by Bobby Switzer. He was also the winner of the annual Deal of the Year award. 

I had barely set foot in this historic masterpiece in downtown Pensacola when I realized that the tour that I was about to attend would be impressive. Switzer, you know – the great-grandson of Pensacolian and Brent Building namesake F.C. Brent – was leading the tour. (What an interesting fella, he is.) He purchased the 4.5-acre block (the Brent, Blount, Moulton and Marston-Quina buildings) with a group of investors in 2015 for $7.5 million. Since then, he has brought to life a vision that incorporates, as he explains, “the dreams of tenants” and makes those dreams a reality.

The developers were given a multitude of restrictions to preserve the 110-year old landmark. In keeping in line with those restrictions, a lot of time was spent on bringing the old building new life while keeping the look and feel of yesteryear. In fact, in late 2015, LMJ was brought in to do a really cool load test in the Brent Building. We filled up two swimming pools with water to make sure that the floor could hold the load from the people. 

Construction is nearing completion with tenants already settled into some of the retail and commercial portions. Switzer said the renovation should be complete by late summer of this year.