Thursday, 10 November 2011 - 4:26pm Pensacola Mayor Ashton Hayward today unveiled the new Admiral Mason Park,

located at the south end of 9th Avenue. The park was transformed from a passive recreational field into a beautiful 2.35-acre pond, with two fountains, walkways, and dozens of trees and other landscaping. The new Admiral Mason Park is a beautiful entryway to historic downtown Pensacola, and a promising gateway to our future, said Mayor Hayward. Its a great complement to Veterans Memorial Park and our waterfront. Hayward thanked the projects contractor team and utilities like Gulf Power for working with the City to improve the design and expedite the project. By making wise investments in our city assets, we can create value for our citizens, and be more efficient at the same time, said Mayor Hayward. Im grateful to those who worked hard to bring this park to life. The parks pond will serve as a stormwater treatment facility not only for the nearby Pensacola Technology Campus, but also for the surrounding 31 acres, protecting Pensacola Bay from untreated stormwater runoff. Before stormwater enters the pond, it will pass through a sediment chamber and 200-sieve screen to filter out litter and other debris. Thereafter, natural processes like evaporation and plant absorption will minimize the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus entering Pensacola Bay. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus promotes algae blooms, which can harm fish and wildlife, said Al Garza, the Citys Public Works and Facilities Director. This project makes our city more attractive to those who live and work here, Mayor Hayward said, and more inviting for those who want to.

About Admiral Mason

Vice Admiral Charles Perry Mason (1891-1971) served as Mayor of Pensacola from 1947 to 1957 and again from 1963 to 1965. Under Masons leadership, the City limits doubled in size, and a new public library, baseball stadium, and municipal auditorium were built. Project Team

Civil EngineerFabre Engineering Landscape Architect ATKINS, Inc. General Contractor Utility Service Company Design Review Brian Spencer Quality Assurance Jerry Pate Design Subcontractors:

Electrical Bill Smith Electric Landscaping The Wallace Company Concrete Empire Construction Excavation Radford & Nix Construction