While Pensacola News Journal posts early morning articles and social media teasers with”breaking updates’ on the redevelopment of the old Baptist Hospital site, the community most impacted by this redevelopment is always the last to know. And the paper trail shows why.

City procurement records show that Bayou District Consulting, LLC had long been on the radar.
2023–2024: Private meetings, tours, and planning discussions occurred behind closed doors. These steps were taken long before any RFP process was publicly announced.

The “Selection Process” Was Only a Formality According to the City’s own evaluation sheets:

• Written scoring for the Baptist project was completed in October 2025.
• Oral presentations were held on November 5, 2025. One firm dropped out because they saw where the scoring was headed.
• That same day, the committee voted 4–0 to award Bayou District Consulting the contract. The Notice of Intent to Award was drafted immediately, because the decision was already made.

The Media Knew And Reported Before the Community Ever Did. The Pensacola News Journal Published Multiple Articles:

• Mar. 2024: Full coverage of the New Orleans Columbia Parc tour
• Nov. 2023: “Mayor focuses on vision for abandoned Baptist campus”
• Dec. 2023: Leaders “pondering what to do”, though internal decisions had already begun, Pensacola News Journal consistently had access to information the community did not.

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Records suggest Bayou District Consulting, LLC was effectively selected long before residents were notified. The decisions were made quietly. The paperwork is clear. And the media presented it as ifit were new. Our communities deserve transparency before decisions are made, not after they’re finalized. Because the paper trail doesn’t lie.

How poor people in New Orleans were displaced by a golf course; Columbia Parc. https://theoutline.com/post/1587/how-poor-people-in-new-orleans-were-displaced-by-a-golf-course

“The City Pretends. Pensacola News Journal Prints, But the Paper Trail Doesn’t Lie”.

City procurement records show that the scoring for the Baptist project has been pointing toward Bayou District Consulting, LLC for months; long before this demolition announcement. The written scoring sheet from 10/21/2025 and the oral scoring sheet from 11/05/2025 both rank Bayou District Consulting as #1 with unanimous votes.

In Dec. 2023, an “invite only” meeting was held to discuss the redevelopment of the old Baptist Hospital site. Gerry Baroussee (Jr), chairman of the board for Bayou Foundation, was in attendance. In Sept. 2025, a new LLC was created: Bayou District Consulting, LLC. Mr Baroussee is listed as the registered agent and title manager.

This same firm was part of the private tour Pensacola’s Mayor, CRA/Council members, community leaders and a news journalist, took to New Orleans to see the Columbia Parc redevelopment model (Pensacola News Journal, March 6, 2024). That means the city’s preferred direction for this site was already shaped well in advance of public input or transparency.

Residents on the Westside deserve a clear, honest explanation of the process, the community impact, and who will benefit from the redevelopment; especially given the long history of how Black neighborhoods in Pensacola have been handled.

Transparency is not optional when it comes to 50 acres of land at the heart of a historically Black community.

Disclaimer: All information presented here is based on public records, Sunbiz filings, procurement documents and published news articles. This post reflects my analysis and opinion based on those publicly available sources in an effort to promote transparency and community awareness.