New ECAT Facility Project (Infrastructure Only), CDBG-DR HS004

The Escambia County Area Transit (ECAT) service area consists of Escambia County, City of Pensacola, and a few stops in the City of Gulf Breeze. During the lifespan of the existing ECAT facility, it has suffered flooding damage during every declared emergency event that involved significant rainfall, with the latest flooding occurring on September 16, 2020, when Hurricane Sally made landfall in the Florida Panhandle, near Pensacola, leaving a significant amount of damage in its wake. Hurricane Sally brought heavy rainfall and flooding, causing damage to housing, businesses, and infrastructure in our entire ECAT service area. The high velocity winds, wind-blown debris, and wind driven rain of Hurricane Sally damaged the ECAT buildings including the Administration Building, Bus Wash, Fuel Depot, and Satellite Service Building. Escambia County requested funding through Rebuild Florida for a new state-of-the-art, energy-efficient and resilient facility for transit operations that will include fixed route and disadvantaged paratransit services. By relocating the facility and operations out of its current flood zone, the new building will be designed to have a designated area of refuge in the event the facility is occupied during an emergency. This project will also mitigate flooding in the area by adding a regional stormwater pond and transportation services to assist in evacuations as needed. In 2024, Escambia County received Community Development Block Grant- Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). On September 16, 2020, Hurricane Sally (DR-4564) swept over the Florida panhandle as a Category 2 hurricane, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding. The impacts of Hurricane Sally further demonstrated the need for an effective, comprehensive long-term recovery plan that would address and meet the remaining needs of Floridians following this catastrophic event. In the wake of this natural disaster, Florida came together to recover and rebuild, but significant unmet needs remain. Recognizing this, under FR Vol. 77 No. 23 published February 3, 2022, Congress appropriated and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) allocated a total of $113 million in funding to support long-term recovery efforts following Hurricane Sally through the Florida Department of Commerce (Commerce) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program.