Tuesday May 26th, 2009 - 2:11PM

Below is a letter from Judith A. Bense,President of the University of West Florida reassuring UWF's committment to the Community Maritime Park and Maritime Museum projects.


May 22, 2009
Dear Honorable Members of the Pensacola City Council:

As you know, the University of West Florida has been a key partner, and has made a major
commitment to the Community Maritime Park since its inception. We have raised over $10.4 million
in gifts and anticipated State match for the maritime museum from over 600 donors, and our
fundraising efforts continue. The maritime museum will be a wonderful educational facility and a
major “anchor” for the Community Maritime Park (CMP), bringing an estimated 300,000 visitors to
the Park each year. And, of course, the museum will honor the memory of Vice Admiral Jack
Fetterman who envisioned a first-class, waterfront maritime museum. Also, we are committed to
constructing a wonderful amphitheater made possible through the generosity of Skip and Martha Ann
Hunter. And, if sufficient private gifts are secured, we will construct and operate a multicultural
center that will tell the story of Pensacola’s rich multicultural history. These anticipated activities
involve a combined capital commitment by the university to the Maritime Park of approximately
$20 million, one of the largest if not the second largest commitment of all the parties to this project.
In light of the several years of conceptual planning and work by many people on the maritime
museum, I have been troubled over the past few weeks to learn of an apparent effort to alter the
location of the maritime museum through changes in, limitations to, or delay of the UWF ground
leases. Our leases have long been contemplated, and in fact have been approved by the CMPA
Board. There is an effort to move the public Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman Maritime Museum and
replace it with private retail and development.
Any significant changes in the location of the maritime museum and in the UWF ground leases
would put it in jeopardy for a number of reasons. First, because the maritime museum will be a
University facility, funded in part through the State’s Courtelis Matching Program, a definite, certain,
and unequivocal long-term ground lease is required for the facility to be eligible for State matching
funds for construction as well as operation and maintenance. Second, during the public referendum
that approved the project and during our fundraising efforts the maritime museum has been
consistently portrayed on the west waterfront of the CMP, as described in the ground lease. We
consider the location of the museum as a commitment that has been made to the public and to those
who make charitable gifts to the UWF Foundation for the Fetterman maritime museum. Moving the
maritime museum at this point would be inconsistent with UWF’s representation of the museum to
our donors…a representation that we have made in good faith, based on our partnership with the City
and agreement with the CMPA Board, and in the many graphic presentations that have been made to
the public.
Pensacola City Council

May 22, 2009
Page 2
I think it is fair to say that in supporting the public referendum on the CMP project, the citizens of
Pensacola were especially strong in expressing support for the public park on the south end of the
CMP, the waterfront maritime museum, and the public educational opportunities the museum will
provide for our citizens and visitors. I am very concerned that significant changes to the site plan,
especially with respect to the public park and maritime museum, would betray the public trust that the
people of Pensacola have vested with the leaders of the City and UWF.
Finally, we have heard concerns that the maritime museum would be a “dead zone” that would
occupy a prime location in the CMP. This is simply not true. About one year ago, UWF specifically
asked the conceptual design firm for the maritime museum, one of the leading museum design firms
in the nation, to find ways to “activate” the west side of the museum. The result was an expansion of
the Trader Jon’s restaurant concept to include significant outdoor seating, the addition of a large
“door” on the west side of the museum that will enable hands-on displays and activities to occur on
the west waterfront, and for museum displays to be visible to passersby on the west side of the
museum. We continue to be flexible in finding ways, consistent with UWF’s educational mission, to
activate the maritime museum and other UWF facilities to make them as attractive and as interactive
as possible.
Please know that UWF wishes to continue to work cooperatively with the City, the CMPA Board,
and the master developer to ensure the overall success of the CMP. However, I want to express the
University’s serious concern over any efforts to make significant changes to UWF’s ground leases
and to the consistent portrayals of our intentions for the site since the very beginnings of the project.
UWF must be true to its commitments.
Sincerely,
Judith A. Bense, Ph.D.
President
cc: Mayor Wiggins
City Manager Coby
CMPA Board Members via CMPA Board Secretary Ed Spears