PENSACOLA--The University of West Florida has announced that the multicultural center, one of three facilities to be owned and operated by UWF on the Community Maritime Park site, will be located adjacent to the Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center with some significant physical and programmatic connections. The two facilities will maintain their unique identities, but sharing of resources will result in cost savings and an enhanced visitor experience.

The multicultural center, tentatively named “Voices of Pensacola,” is envisioned as a place to learn about and experience Pensacola’s unique multicultural history, as well as what lessons can be learned to ensure a better future for the city and region. A preliminary concept for the multicultural center has been developed by a diverse group of community leaders under the leadership of Susan Story, chief executive officer of Gulf Power. The multicultural center will tell and weave together the unique stories of the diverse groups that contributed to Pensacola’s development and history including Native Americans, Europeans, Africans, Latin-Americans, Asians and others.

“We hope to create a place where we can talk honestly about our unique cultural and social differences…where we can move out of our cultural silos to embrace the spirit of true humanity and to practice tolerance, empathy and compassion with each other, ” said Audra Carter, president of AC Advertising and member of the community visioning group.

The multicultural center and the Vice Admiral John H. Fetterman State of Florida Maritime Museum and Research Center will each continue to have their own name and identity, entrance, operating plan and advisory board. However, the center and the museum will be encompassed within a single envelope, with significant opportunities to share space, exhibits and staffing.

Examples of possible shared spaces include an interactive theatre, visitor services, central receiving, exhibit preparation space, mechanical areas, administrative space and vertical lifts. The cooperative effort is anticipated to significantly decrease construction, energy, staffing and other operating costs. Also, there will be opportunities for shared exhibits and events, and visitation and revenue for both facilities is anticipated to increase.

Both facilities will have strong connections to UWF’s academic programs with significant outreach to the community including K-12 students and teachers. UWF estimates that the connection of the facilities will result in a minimum of $600,000 savings in construction costs and $100,000 in annual operating expenses. The multicultural center will be located on the northeast side of the conceptual design for the maritime museum and will have a dedicated entrance and a new architectural signature. The overall building conceptual design will continue to be a three-story, “ship and wharf” concept that has been presented to the Community Maritime Park Board and the public.

The new concept has been endorsed by the leaders of both the maritime museum and multicultural center efforts.

“It will be wonderful for school children and other visitors to experience the unique multicultural history of Pensacola and the maritime history of Florida at a single location within the Community Maritime Park,” said Story.

Both facilities will be owned and operated by UWF and will be built primarily with private gifts that will be submitted for state match through the Alec P. Courtelis program. Charitable gifts will continue to be designated specifically to the maritime museum or multicultural center and will be used only for the project designated by the donor. Currently, about $10.5 million in gifts, pledges and anticipated matches have been raised for the maritime museum, while fundraising for the multicultural center is underway with the leadership of Story and Carol Carlan and support of UWF.

“I am fully supportive of the concept, and as a member of the UWF Board of Trustees, I also appreciate the significant cost savings that would result from the sharing of space and resources,” said Nancy Fetterman.

For more information, contact John Hutchinson, general manager, Public Affairs at Gulf Power, at (850) 444-6750, or Dean Van Galen, vice president for University Advancement, at (850) 474-3306 or e-mail dvangalen@uwf.edu.