Mayor outlines Berdon port project, funding steps and jobs promise

The mayor said the city will present a term sheet for the Berdon manufacturing project to the Triumph Gulf Coast board in Panama City as the second step in a three-step process toward a grant award and eventual lease arrangements that will require city council approval.

The administration described the project as two advanced manufacturing facilities at the Port of Pensacola totaling about 380,000 square feet. "We're talking about at full steam $160 million of payroll being injected annually into our region and local economy," the mayor said, and added the project could support roughly 2,000 total jobs when fully ramped up though "not all 2,000" would be located on the port.

The mayor outlined the project's cost and anticipated funding: a total project estimate of $275 million, including roughly $130 million in site preparation and construction and about $145 million in equipment. He said expected contributions include Triumph Gulf Coast (discussed at roughly $76 million), the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund (about $14 million), an EDA (U.S. Department of Commerce) grant (about $33 million) and Berdon's own investment (about $152 million). The city is also pursuing additional workforce-development grants.

On operational and community impacts, the mayor said Berdon is completing a noise study and that the city has insisted on protections to "keep the harmony between a vibrant port economy and a vibrant downtown economy." He added that the port has a traffic plan and the city is exploring parking and commuting options to support an influx of personnel and ancillary subcontractors.

Council members asked when Berdon would be fully operational; the mayor said a port presence would occur "much sooner rather than later" with full operational ramping continuing through 2029. On environmental-review questions the administration said it would follow up with staff and review federal- and state-related due diligence tied to grant dollars.

Next steps: Triumph board review of the term sheet, potential approval of a grant agreement later this summer, and subsequent lease terms and council approval if grants are awarded.