$24 million project includes 127-room Hyatt Place hotel and a mix of retail and office space

Pensacola, Fla. (April 28, 2011) - Sandspur Development, LLC, announced that construction has begun for its newest development, Airport and 12th, at Pensacola Gulf Coast Regional Airport.  The mixed-use project comprises more than 11 acres of office and retail space, and a 127-room Hyatt Place Hotel built and managed by Innisfree Hotels that will connect directly to the airport terminal and will open in March 2013. The project is expected to create more than 500 jobs during construction and employ approximately 235 upon completion.

Project balances creative design with responsible execution.

Phase one of the construction of Airport & 12th follows a tree removal and preservation plan for 120 trees along 12th Avenue as part of a master landscape plan developed by Chad Watkins of Foley, Ala.-based landscape architecture and land planning firm Watkins Acy Strunk (WAS). The plan exceeds-by 80%-the mitigation requirements of the City of Pensacola's new tree protection code. "We are creating a beautiful gateway into the City that will also be the first impression for many travelers," said Julian MacQueen, founder and chief executive officer of Innisfree Hotels. "And we've selected a landscape architecture and land planning firm that is recognized for environmentally responsible solutions, green technology and sustainable practices to ensure we are good stewards of the property and its natural assets."

Northwest Florida tree and landscaping company Trees Plus will remove 75% of the trees, preserving approximately 25%. Owner and ISA-Certified arborist Rob Williamson uses AirSpade® air excavation technology to ensure minimal root disturbance, and a growth regulator that puts the preserved trees into a "conservative" mode to slow top growth and redirect energy to fibrous root growth. Trees Plus will clear the area inside the tree preservation zones by hand to ensure that heavy equipment does not damage the root structures of the preserved trees.

Project team includes acclaimed regional design, construction and marketing groups.

Sandspur Development selected architect Philip Partington of Pensacola-based SMB Architecture to design Airport & 12th, with the goal of creating a pedestrian-friendly development with restaurant, office and retail properties, manicured streetscapes, a central fountain and tree-lined promenades.

Robins and Morton of Birmingham, Ala., a "progressive leader in sustainable construction," was chosen as general contractor. Robins and Morton recently completed construction of the Holiday Inn Resort on Pensacola Beach and the Hampton Inn & Suites in Orange Beach, Ala.

Justin Beck of Pensacola's Beck Property Company, will market the five outparcels, offering ground leases to those interested in constructing their own buildings. Beck will kick off the marketing with a trip to the International Council of Shopping Centers' annual convention in Las Vegas in May.