Erika Wilhite
Published: January 9, 2006
PJC has been buying up property in Pensacola and South Santa Rosa County, but administrators say expansion could still take years.
“We’ve been buying property on Underwood [Avenue], north of the [Pensacola Campus] for several years now,” said Carolyn Phillips, chief information officer. “We’re still in the process of buying it up, but we don’t really know what to do with it yet. It’s just for the campus to expand on, when we need it.”
The campus on 9th Avenue is essentially landlocked, with little to no room for expansion on the existing property. The land purchased across the street on Underwood Avenue could be utilized for additional parking, new buildings – whatever the campus requires.
But that’s not the only expansion option the administration is considering.
“[PJC] has owned property in Midway for several years,” said Phillips. “We have a conceptual plan, but there’s really no money in the budget to back it within the foreseeable future.”
Dr. Martin Gonzalez, Provost of the Milton Campus, echoes Phillips when it comes to funding, both for the Underwood property and the possible Midway campus.
“PJC could attempt to join up with the Santa Rosa County School System,” Gonzalez said, “and build a joint facility. [All plans] are on hold right now until [the state] lets go of the money.”
The property in question is a 26-acre lot near Woodlawn Beach Middle School, roughly a midway point between Gulf Breeze and Navarre.
While a Midway campus could be of great benefit to the many students who now commute to the main campus from cities and towns along U.S. 98, and Dr. Isaac Brigham, vice president of planning and administration, acknowledges that the college would like to build a campus in Midway “at some point”, no specific plans have been developed.
“We have to be able to justify a new campus based on population, student enrollment and need,” Brigham said. “There have surely been discussions, but while we are ahead of the game – we own the property, and that area is the fastest growing in Santa Rosa County – [a new campus] is a long, long time in the future.”