Drama Bomb in Navy Point

The never ending struggle between the needs of the few verses the many

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Local journalist Rick Outzen proclaimed Pensacola the City of Grudges in his 2018 novel. Although fiction, the book didn’t stray far from reality in describing the long-standing feuds simmering just under the surface of Escambia County politics. These resentments sometimes bubble to the surface like they did in the battle over the public’s access to the beach on Perdido Key a few years ago. Often times these disputes boil down to the wealthy few trying to maintain their position of privilege over the interest of the general public. In that way Pensacola isn’t really that different from a lot of places.

The latest front line in this battle is the scenic neighborhood of Navy Point, which sits just outside the Pensacola city limits and across from Pensacola Naval Air Station on Bayou Grande. This is largely a middle-class neighborhood but in recent years the waterfront has seen construction of McMansions with values pushing a million dollars while only a block in-land 1950s ranches are going for under $200k. Given the disparity in wealth the rise of conflict probably isn’t that surprising.

The simmering tensions in Navy Point go beyond the wealth gap though. I don’t actually live in Navy Point, but I do have a bit of an insiders view…