Redstone Gateway is a thriving business hub at the entrance of Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville. Developed through a $550 million investment, it features 24 office buildings, two hotels, and retail space, with room to grow. Designed for innovation and convenience, it has created nearly 8,700 jobs and continues to attract businesses. A joint effort with COPT Defense Properties, it enhances the area with modern workspaces and a revitalized Arsenal entrance.
TRI-W
Let's Bring
The Heart of Beulah
to Life
What do you want to see on OLF-8?
A Vibrant
Town Center...
or Another
Subdivision?
Tri-W: the Right Choice for Beulah
Led by Catalyst and Jim Wilson & Associates, the Tri-W development team is the right choice for OLF-8 and for Beulah:
- Successful track record of place-making, mixed-use, and job-creating commercial development.
- Proven ability to finance, manage, and execute large projects across the country.
- Significant financial, social, civic, and philanthropic investments in our community.
- Ability to recruit high-income employers and deliver quality urban design
Great Places Attract Great Employers
The Tri-W approach to economic development and job creation goes beyond traditional incentive-based methods. Instead, we focus on creating a place people truly want to visit, shop, dine, live, and relax—knowing that great companies will follow.
Jim Wilson & Associates has successfully partnered with he U.S. Army at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, transforming unused military land into hundreds of light manufacturing jobs, along with thousands more in office and retail across the Southeast. Catalyst has helped generate thousands of jobs nationwide, including hundreds in Pensacola, by developing healthcare hubs, retail centers, and vibrant destinations like the East Garden District. As former Mayor and now President of the Andrews Research & Education Foundation, Ashton Hayward has been instrumental in securing millions in public and private investments—bringing new manufacturing facilities, medical research grants, and civic enhancements to Pensacola.
At OLF-8, we aim to bring this collective expertise together to attract high-wage, high-tech, research, and light manufacturing jobs—building a thriving, innovative community for the future.
FAQ
What is your connection to Pensacola and Northwest Florida?
Chad Henderson, Founder and CEO of Catalyst, was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. He grew up on a dirt road in the Pine Forest area, attended local schools, and later went to Florida State University. After graduating, Chad returned to Pensacola and founded Catalyst in 2011. Under his leadership, Catalyst has grown from a local boutique real estate development firm into a nationally recognized leader in healthcare real estate. Headquartered in Pensacola, Florida, with two additional satellite offices, Catalyst currently has over 40 employees, manages 5.1 million square feet of healthcare facilities, and is responsible for $2.3 billion in projects. Additionally, Chad has played a vital role in shaping the organization’s mission, vision, and values, leading Catalyst to be acknowledged as a Top 100 Workplace in Florida for two consecutive years.
Ashton Hayward is a Pensacola native and former Mayor. Prior to his two terms as Mayor, Hayward worked in New York City for the Financial Times and ATT Corporation. As Mayor, he led several urban renewal and beautification efforts, from the Main Street Road Diet to the Admiral Mason Stormwater Park. He also recruited major employers and millions of dollars in state and federal funding to Pensacola.
Jim Wilson & Associates (JWA) is one of the southeast’s largest commercial real estate developers, specializing in office, hotel, upscale retail, and light manufacturing/defense contracting spaces. JWA has developed outdoor retail, commercial areas and residential across the southeastern U.S. and, with their joint venture partner, is continuing the development of Redstone Gateway in Huntsville, Alabama, a 470-acre business park adjacent to Redstone Arsenal with over two million square feet of construction completed and an additional two million square feet planned, all with a focus on defense and aerospace contractors.
Why do you want to develop OLF-8?
OLF-8 was originally conceived as a commerce park. At the time, this land swap with the U.S. Navy was a pioneering innovation to secure large parcels suitable for economic development. However, as time passed, the area around OLF-8 attracted more residential development, becoming one of the fastest growing areas in Northwest Florida.
We see the vision for OLF-8, as manifested in the DPZ Master Plan, as one of the last remaining large parcels to do something truly special, not just for Beulah and Escambia County, but for all of Northwest Florida and South Alabama.
Given the future plans for an I-10 interchange at Beulah Road, how OLF-8 is developed and curated will be the benchmark for future development in the area. We believe that we can bring to life the vision of a vibrant, mixed-use, job-creating space that supports the growing Beulah community and creates economic opportunities for our children and grandchildren.
To us, allowing OLF-8 to become yet another subdivision developed by national homebuilders, or strictly a place for warehouses and distribution centers, would be a travesty and a generational opportunity lost.
What are your plans to abide by the OLF-8 Master Plan?
We fully support the OLF-8 Master Plan, but Beulah has changed a lot since it was created nearly six years ago. Given current market conditions and the potential for private ownership of the entire site, we believe some updates may be needed.
These are just initial thoughts—we haven’t done the full research yet, as that process would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, something no developer would invest in without first securing the site under contract.
Additionally, any changes to the Master Plan would require rezoning and a public hearing for community input. If we pursue adjustments, we will be transparent and proactive, clearly explaining what changes we propose and why.
Based on what we know now, we may consider exploring revisions to the OLF-8 Master Plan in three areas.
Support & Enhance Design Standards
First, we wholeheartedly support design standards. Those are incredibly important to ensure that the development enhances the surrounding neighborhoods and provides a cohesive experience for those who live, work, visit, or play at OLF-8. We believe that the Master Plan clearly spells out the best practices of form-based code and new urbanism, and we support those.
We would go one step further by tightening up some of the language regarding some of the restrictions. For example, we see some uncertainty in the Master Plan Design Standards that would allow for metal-sided buildings. We would want to prohibit metal-sided buildings, as we believe those would detract from the overall project and the surrounding area.
Reduce Phasing Restrictions
The second element we would want to reconsider is the phasing of the light-industrial “economic development” parcels. When the plan was originally developed, that phasing was a very smart compromise when there would be both public and private ownership of the site. However, if the BOCC is selling the entire site, we would want to have the flexibility to create the best mix of uses as the buildout proceeds.
As an example, the Kentlands community in the suburbs of Washington, DC, a DPZ-developed community, is right next to a beautiful Astra-Zeneca pharmaceutical facility. Closer to home, the world-renowned Institute for Human and Machine Cognition deliberately chose to locate and expand in the heart of downtown Pensacola.
So, if we are successful in recruiting similar high-skilled, high-wage jobs to OLF-8, and those employers want to be in a walkable, urban, mixed-use environment (because that’s where their employees want to be!), then we want to be able to deliver that.
Incremental Density Changes
Finally, given that the original offers on OLF-8 have almost doubled (from $25 million to $42.5 million), we could seek to increase the density in some of the commercial areas to ensure that the project can be financed and delivered successfully. At the current purchase price, the site as currently planned isn’t cost-feasible. This does NOT mean bringing in high-rise buildings, but it does mean that we might seek less warehouse-sized blocks and more office-sized blocks, for example.
What distinguishes you from other development team(s)?
Our team brings extensive experience delivering high-quality, mixed-use developments in a variety of residential, urban, suburban, and exurban environments. Not only that, our partners bring access to capital, a commitment to quality, and existing relationships with retail, research, and innovation employers.
If you look at the track record of other potential developers, their work is focused on traditional single-family subdivisions, including some interesting lagoon-inspired developments. In our opinion, none of these showcase projects demonstrate any effort to incorporate new urbanism, walkability, or a welcoming public realm.
So, for us, the choice is simple.
Does the community and the BOCC want more neighborhoods? Or is Beulah ready for OLF-8 to serve as the community’s beating heart? We believe Buelah deserves:
- A vibrant town center (like downtown Fairhope or Palafox Street)
- Commercial areas to support the surrounding neighborhoods
- Innovative employers to create jobs for the next generation
Together we can build a central hub for the people of Beulah and beyond to come together. With places to live and work, to dine and relax. That’s what we will bring to life.
Current and Past Projects
Redstone Gateway
- 468 ACRES
- OVER 2,700,000 SQUARE FEET
- 8,699 JOBS CREATED
EastChase
- 330 ACRES
- OVER 1,500,000 SQUARE FEET
- 4,500 JOBS CREATED
EastChase is a vibrant 330-acre community with shops, restaurants, offices, homes, and hotels. Since 2002, it has grown into Montgomery’s top retail destination, featuring major brands like Target, Costco, and Dillard’s. With beautiful tree-lined streets, thoughtful design, and a focus on quality, EastChase has created 4,500 jobs and continues to thrive. A $250 million investment, it blends shopping, dining, and living in one dynamic neighborhood.
East Garden District
- 10 ACRES
The East Garden District is a 10-acre revitalization project bringing new life to downtown Pensacola. With upgraded roads, new restaurants, and restored historic spaces, it blends modern living with local history. Completed projects include The Well, Papa’s Pizza, and Union Public House, with new condos, urban flats, and apartments on the way. A true community effort, this transformation creates vibrant spaces for people to live, work, and gather in the heart of the city.
Ransley Station
- 60 ACRES
Ransley Station is a dynamic 60-acre development in Pensacola’s fastest-growing area, offering a mix of retail, healthcare, offices, hotels, and modern apartments. Designed for convenience and community, it provides new places to live, work, and shop while serving both locals and travelers along I-10. With a focus on growth and connectivity, Ransley Station is set to become a vibrant hub for the region.
Get in Touch
Have questions or ideas for this land? We want to hear from you!
TRI-W Development Team
-
41 N. Jefferson St, 4th Floor
Pensacola, FL 32502 - triw@heartofbeulah.com