A forgotten alleyway behind the Jefferson St. Garage has received a major facelift thanks to the Downtown Improvement Board (DIB). For years, a narrow alley located between the western garage wall and the back entrances of several Palafox Street merchants has been a mostly-overlooked pass-through. The DIB hopes to change that and is revamping the alley with plants, landscaping, lighting, paint and other improvements.

The Downtown Improvement Board (DIB) is inviting the public to choose a name for a new “activated” alleyway behind the Jefferson St. Garage, creating a shared space for entertainment, dining and community events. Votes can be submitted here.

Parking dollars from City-owned lots and spaces managed by the Downtown Improvement Board are being used to launch several new projects that will make "Florida's Greatest Place" even cleaner, safer and more vibrant, DIB executive director Lissa Dees announced recently. The DIB has hired a “cleaning ambassador” team, completed the installation of LED lights atop the Jefferson St. Garage and recently begun removing worn out parking meters on downtown streets. The changes are the latest on a long list of district-wide maintenance and improvement projects funded by parking revenues collected by the DIB. 

You may have noticed two new individuals dressed in bright green DIB "Clean Ambassador" shirts and jackets. Lori and Jeremy are diligently working along downtown sidewalks and streets, stopping often to assist visitors (and injured baby birds, just ask Lori).

Friends of Downtown will award two tickets for Repast 2019 to one lucky winner in a new contest that launched May 5. To enter, post a photo of your favorite piece of Downtown Pensacola history on Facebook or Instagram with the hashtag #RepastAndPresent. At the end of the contest period, one winner will be randomly picked and awarded two tickets for the third annual Repast farm-to-table dinner on May 19 in beautiful downtown Pensacola, a $250 value.