Latest news with #Hofberger
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Four new fire stations could be coming to Escambia County
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG)- Civic leaders are looking to build four new fire stations in Escambia County. 'I wanted to make sure that when people pick up the phone and they call 9-11, that someone is available to respond and that person has the training and equipment they need to fix the emergency the person is experiencing,' Ashlee Hofberger, District 4 County Commissioner for Escambia County, said. Proposed plans include the demolition and replacement of stations 11 and 14 on Lillian Highway and Gulf Beach Highway. And the construction of two additional fire stations, one on Highway 97 and Kingsfield Road in Cantonment, and another in the Paradise Beach area. Plans also include the addition of sleeping quarters to station 21 on White Ash Road in Molino. With the new stations, County Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger hopes they can enhance emergency response capabilities and lower insurance rates for residents who don't have a fire station nearby. 'One of the biggest impacts that our community has seen from the areas that have previously had a fire station but don't have one anymore, for various reasons, is a huge hike in insurance. So their insurance premiums have went up anywhere from 30 to 60%,' Hofberger said. Hofberger says she's worked with Escambia County Fire Rescue Chief Adam Harrison to identify the locations. 'Chief Harrison's been great. He's got a running list of everything that the fire department needs for the future. Depending on growth…because we kind of know where people are moving and what areas are experiencing more growth,' Hofberger said. With an estimated cost of $34 million, Hofberger said the new stations and the expansion would be funded through Local Option Sales Tax dollars. Plans are expected to be voted on at a future Board of County Commissioners Meeting. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WKRG News 5.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Escambia County to replace Pensacola Beach's Toll Plaza with archway
ESCAMBIA COUNTY, Fla. (WKRG) — Upgrades to Pensacola Beach's Toll Plaza are in the works as Escambia County prepares to install a new archway to replace the current toll booths. 'Volleyball Jesus' sculpture removed in Gulf Shores, search begins for new home The goal is to improve traffic flow while also giving a warm welcome to visitors traveling to Pensacola Beach. Pensacola Beach's current toll plaza is set to be replaced this fall. (News 5 photo) 'I really wanted something that made traffic flow a lot easier, and that was big and beautiful,' Escambia County District 4 Commissioner Ashlee Hofberger said. With plans to have the design phase finished in August, construction will begin this fall and is set to be completed by April 2026. Despite the stylistic changes, toll fare and payment will remain the same with the new archway. 'The county is at a place where we can reinvest into the beach,' Hofberger added. 'It is our economic driver, and so for me, one of the biggest priorities was making sure that as you're coming onto the beach, that you have something pretty and beautiful and welcoming and something that says, 'We're proud to be Pensacola Beach residents and call this our home.'' The gateway design will also help hide all of the electronics for the automated tolling system. 'If you don't put a facade over it that is somewhat artistic, then it looks like a Connect Set, because it's just the metal poles that are stuck together with the tag readers in them,' Hofberger said. The project should cost anywhere from $6.3 million to $7.5 million including roadway, landscape and lighting improvements. Funding for the project will come from more than three sources. 'We have TDT dollars, so tourist development dollars, and those were able to be funded because it is something that goes towards marketing our community,' Hofberger said. 'Some of it is coming from my discretionary funding, and then some of it also coming from the previous toll money.' Passport Fair coming to Mobile (one day only) Hofberger believes tourists visiting Pensacola Beach will appreciate the clean look of the archway, letting them know they've arrived at their vacation. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
