Beyond Pensacola newsletter · October 16, 2026
Escambia just advanced the rulebook for OLF-8 in Beulah
Beyond Pensacola, Issue #7 · October 16, 2026. Header photo: I-10 at Beulah Rd by Michael Rivera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons; cropped, toned and text added.
Welcome back. The biggest local news this week came out of Thursday’s Escambia County Commission meeting, where a big piece of Beulah’s future took a step forward.
Beulah just got a clearer path for ~540 acres
On Thursday, Oct. 15, Escambia County commissioners advanced an ordinance to adopt the updated Outlying Fields Master Plan and Design Code for the former OLF-8 site in Beulah. That’s about 540 acres next to Navy Federal Credit Union. Developer Chad Henderson of Tri-W Development told the board the updated rules are key to turning the site into a real neighborhood where people live, work, eat and shop.
This was the first of two required public hearings. The second is Nov. 5, so nothing is final yet. Thursday’s vote got the rulebook moving: walkable streets, green space and clear rules for what can be built there.
Why it matters for housing: A big mixed-use project next to a major employer brings people. If this plan holds, expect more homes and more traffic in Beulah and along the Cantonment corridor, likely before the buildings even open. Keep an eye on it if you’re buying or selling out that way, or if you’re curious what “near Navy Federal” will really look like.
→ Full write-up from NorthEscambia (Oct 16)
Also worth knowing
Pensacola’s affordable-housing incentives moved a step. On Oct. 6, the city’s Affordable Housing Advisory Committee voted unanimously to send its SHIP 2026 draft incentive report to a public hearing next month. Staff added September feedback, a table of area income limits (AMI) and a clear definition of “affordable.” This isn’t a final City Council vote. It’s the yearly review Florida requires before cities update their housing incentives. Citizen Portal · City AHAC page
Navarre Beach boardwalk workshop: postponed. Santa Rosa County had planned a public workshop for Monday, Oct. 19 on the proposed boardwalk, event hall and parking on Navarre Beach. Because of Hurricane Isaias, the county is rescheduling it, and no new date has been set. Watch the county project page for the new date.
Isaias recovery: where things stand. As of Friday morning, FEMA Individual Assistance (direct aid to households) is not open for Escambia or Santa Rosa. Escambia has said it can’t go onto private property to count damage, so report yours to the county. Homes that aren’t reported don’t count toward the request. Escambia is waiving permit fees for storm repairs, but you still need a permit. The IRS has pushed many federal tax deadlines to Feb. 8, 2027 for Escambia, Santa Rosa and other covered Florida counties. It applies automatically (IRS notice). If a social post says FEMA money is open, check DisasterAssistance.gov or MyEscambia.com first.
Windy weekend ahead. The National Weather Service has a wind advisory from 10 p.m. Friday to 7 p.m. Saturday, with gusts up to 40 mph. Secure tarps, loose debris and anything else left over from the storm. NWS Mobile/Pensacola
Rates eased again. Mortgage News Daily’s 30-year fixed average fell to 7.33% on Thursday (down 0.12). The 15-year was 6.98% and the 30-year VA was 7.00%. Still not cheap, but a little better. Full table below.
📊 The Numbers
Rates: Mortgage News Daily rate survey, Thursday, Oct. 15. Florida cities: September 2026 medians from our city market pages (Pensacola MLS). Alabama cities: September averages from AreaPro. October numbers aren’t out yet.
| Rate | |
|---|---|
| 30-year fixed | 7.33% |
| 15-year fixed | 6.98% |
| 30-year VA | 7.00% |
| Market | Sale price | Days to sell | For sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pensacola | $295,000 | 43 | 898 |
| Gulf Breeze | $385,000 | 41 | 190 |
| Pace | $342,438 | 38 | 276 |
| Milton | $303,355 | 36 | 379 |
| Navarre | $421,000 | 56 | 185 |
| Perdido Key | $403,250 | 54 | 368 |
| Gulf Shores, AL (avg.) | $606,636 | 114 | 824 |
| Orange Beach, AL (avg.) | $966,056 | 119 | 630 |
One thing worth knowing
Check the official flood map before you buy, or before you push back on an insurance quote. FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center is free. Type in an address, pull up the current map, and see if the home sits in a high-risk flood zone (called a Special Flood Hazard Area). A listing description or a lender’s letter isn’t the same as the map. After a storm week, that five-minute check can save you a big surprise.
Source: FEMA Flood Map Service Center. Your insurance agent or lender can explain how the zone affects coverage and pricing for a specific property.
That’s issue seven. Next Friday: what’s opening, what’s breaking ground, and what it means.
Beyond Pensacola is written by Tyler Darden (@realtydarden), Darden Group / Real Broker, LLC. Know someone moving to the Gulf Coast? Forward this to them.