Entertainment
Hard Rock International Announces Development Of REVERB by Hard Rock® Pensacola To Open in 2029
PENSACOLA, Fla. /PRNewswire/ — Today, Hard Rock International announces development plans for REVERB by Hard Rock® Pensacola to break ground in 2026 and open in 2029. REVERB by Hard Rock® is a unique hotel brand designed to be an energetic cultural hub for connection, creation and inspiration among music fans, locals and travelers alike. This will mark the company’s sixth REVERB property joining the portfolio, with Atlanta and Hamburg, and Kalamazoo, Tampa, and Scottsdale also being developed.
REVERB by Hard Rock® Pensacola will feature more than 125 hotel technology-enhanced rooms, a full-service restaurant, rooftop bar, lobby bar and lounge, quick service restaurant and fitness center. An exclusive REVERB City Guide for Pensacola will feature local artist-curated lists of favorite drinks, dining, and entertainment locations throughout the local area. Additionally, the property will host a podcast recording studio for local talent and creators as well as a meeting space for conferences.
The property will be located downtown at Maritime Park along Pensacola Bay with views of the picturesque water that connects to the Gulf of Mexico and with views of Blue Wahoos Stadium. It will provide easy access to nearby hotspots including beautiful beaches, National Naval Aviation Museum and Pensacola Museum of Art. The hotel will be developed on a 100-year ground lease with the city of Pensacola that goes to vote by the City Council on August 8, 2024. The project is expected to create an economic boost to the area and generate 500+ construction and 75+ permanent hospitality employment opportunities with competitive pay.
“Hard Rock is thrilled to keep growing our REVERB hotel portfolio with what will be the second planned property in Florida, this time in the heart of Pensacola Bay. We have full confidence in our partner, the Dawson Company, to deliver a best-in-class hotel based on their four decades of proven experience executing complex and catalytic projects throughout the eastern United States, and their extensive knowledge of the Pensacola market,” said Todd Hricko, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Hotel Development at Hard Rock International.
The Dawson Company, a second generation, Pensacola-based development firm known for its pioneering, landmark mixed-use developments in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Baltimore and Pensacola has assembled one of the most accomplished and world-renown design and engineering teams ever to design the project in Florida’s Panhandle. The design team includes Gensler, the world’s largest preeminent architectural design firm that has created some of the most distinctive, recognizable and celebrated monuments and structures around the world and Kravitz Design, the global conceptual design firm helmed by music and style icon Lenny Kravitz known globally for their groundbreaking, yet approachable and artistic style. With a plan to build in mass timber, Thornton Tomasetti, the foremost thought leader on mass timber design is also on the design team.
“With its roots in music, entertainment and philanthropy, Hard Rock is a wonderful partner for The Dawson Company to continue extending our real estate footprint,” said Tamara Bowens, President & Chief Operating Officer for the Dawson Company. “We are truly excited to bring the REVERB by Hard Rock to the city of Pensacola and we look forward to also working closely with Gensler, Kravitz Design and Thornton Tomasetti to develop what’s to become an incredible mainstay in Pensacola.”
Other partners contributing to the development include Pensacola native, NFL Hall of Famer and real estate entrepreneur, Emmitt Smith, CEO at EJ Smith Enterprises.
For more information about current and upcoming properties, visit hotel.hardrock.com.
About REVERB by Hard Rock®
REVERB by Hard Rock® is a new select-service hotel designed for the modern music lover; a sanctuary for the eclectic, a place for fans to gather and experience a melting pot of music culture. The hotel features a modern, urban design, user-friendly integrated technology and a program that focuses on local music, food and lifestyle. Hard Rock has been celebrating the spirit of music for nearly five decades; with REVERB, they shine the spotlight directly on the fans. For more information about REVERB by Hard Rock, visit reverb.hardrock.com.
About Hard Rock®
Hard Rock International (HRI) is one of the most globally recognized companies with venues in over 70 countries spanning 309 locations that include owned/licensed or managed Hotels, Casinos, Rock Shops®, Live Performance Venues and Cafes. Its Unity by Hard Rock™ global loyalty program rewards members for doing the things they love across participating properties around the world. HRI also launched a joint venture named Hard Rock Digital in 2020, an online sportsbook, retail sportsbook and internet gaming platform. Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, Hard Rock owns the world’s largest and most valuable collection of authentic music memorabilia at more than 88,000 pieces, which are displayed at its locations around the globe. Hard Rock Hotels has been honored by J.D. Power’s North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Study as the number one or two brand in Outstanding Guest Satisfaction for five consecutive years among the top Upper Upscale Hotels. HRI became the first privately-owned gaming company designated a U.S. Best Managed Company by Deloitte Private and The Wall Street Journal in 2021 and has since been honored fourfold. Hard Rock was also honored by Forbes among the World’s Best Employers, as well as Best Employers for Women, Diversity and New Grads and a Top Large Employer in the Travel & Leisure, Gaming and Entertainment Industry. In the 2022 Global Gaming Awards, Hard Rock was named Land-Based Operator of the Year for the second time in four years. Hard Rock International currently holds investment grades from primary investment-grade rating agencies: S&P Global Ratings (BBB-) and Fitch Ratings (BBB). For more information on Hard Rock International, visit www.hardrock.com or shop.hardrock.com.
About the Dawson Company
The Dawson Company dba Inspired Communities of Florida is a second-generation managed, Pensacola Florida-based real estate company founded in 1969 in Atlanta, GA by Harold Dawson, Sr. With a history rooted in “doing well by doing good,” The Dawson Company has developed, renovated, and/or managed 5 million square feet of office, 1.5 million square feet of retail, and 15,000+ units of attached and multifamily housing. Drawing on its in-house expertise, The Dawson Company has evolved into a boutique development firm that immerses itself into niche tertiary markets to create impactful, enduring, catalytic mixed-use developments that grow, strengthen and enhance cities, towns and communities. For more information visit: www.thedawsoncompany.com.
SOURCE Hard Rock International
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actors & performers
🎥 Hollywood Legend Rob Reiner and Wife Found Dead; Son in Custody
Renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner and his wife, Michele Singer Reiner, were found dead in their Los Angeles home in a reported homicide. Police have arrested their son in connection with the case, and tributes are pouring in.
Director Rob Reiner participates in a discussion following a screening of the film LBJ at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin, Texas on Saturday October 22, 2016
On Saturday evening October 22, 2016, the LBJ Presidential Library held a sneak peek of Rob Reiner’s new filmÊLBJ, starring Woody Harrelson as the 36th president. The film, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, chronicles the life and times of Lyndon Johnson who would inherit the presidency at one of the most fraught moments in American history.
Following the screening, director Rob Reiner, actor Woody Harrelson, and writer Joey Hartstone joined LBJ Library Director Mark Updegrove on stage for a conversation about the film.
LBJ Library photo by Jay Godwin
10/22/2016
🎥 Hollywood Legend Rob Reiner and Wife Found Dead; Son in Custody
December 15, 2025
Renowned filmmaker and actor Rob Reiner, 78, and his wife Michele Singer Reiner, 68, were found dead in their Brentwood, Los Angeles home on Sunday, authorities say. Emergency responders were called to the residence Sunday afternoon, where both were discovered with fatal wounds consistent with a stabbing. Police are treating the case as a double homicide.
Los Angeles police arrested the couple’s 32-year-old son, Nick Reiner, in connection with the deaths. He is being held in custody as investigators continue to piece together the circumstances surrounding the incident.
2016 SAMHSA Voice Awards
Reiner was one of Hollywood’s most influential figures, known for his work as a director, producer and actor. His career spanned decades, from early television fame to directing beloved films that shaped American cinema.
Friends, colleagues and public figures have begun sharing tributes and reactions to the news as the investigation is ongoing.
More details will be updated as they become available.
The Inspiring Legacy of Raymond E. Fowler: A Journey into the UnknownLink: https://stmdailynews.com/the-inspiring-legacy-of-raymond-e-fowler-a-journey-into-the-unknown/
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Entertainment
Hollywood vs. Reality: How LA’s Wilshire Subway Was Really Built
Wilshire Subway: Did LA blast subway tunnels under Wilshire Boulevard? Hollywood says yes — engineers say no. Here’s how Metro safely tunneled beneath Miracle Mile.
When the 1997 disaster film Volcano depicted lava erupting along Wilshire Boulevard and referenced blasting during Red Line subway construction, it delivered gripping cinema — but not accurate engineering.
In reality, Los Angeles Metro did not rely on large-scale blasting to construct subway tunnels beneath Wilshire Boulevard and the Miracle Mile. Instead, engineers used tunnel boring machines (TBMs) specifically to avoid the very risks Hollywood dramatized.
Why Blasting Was Avoided
The Wilshire Corridor sits atop historic oil fields, making methane gas pockets a known and serious concern. A deadly methane explosion near Fairfax Avenue in 1985 led to heightened scrutiny of underground construction in the area. Blasting in such conditions could have caused unpredictable gas releases, ground instability, or damage to surface structures.
As a result, Metro engineers chose pressurized, closed-face tunnel boring machines, which allow for:
Controlled excavation in dense urban environments
Continuous ground support to prevent settlement
Integrated gas detection and ventilation systems
These machines grind slowly through soil and rock while installing precast concrete tunnel linings, creating a sealed, gas-resistant structure as they advance. ![]()
The Real Engineering Feat
Although Volcano took creative liberties for dramatic effect, the true story of tunneling under Wilshire is no less impressive. Advances in TBM technology and methane mitigation ultimately allowed the Metro D Line (formerly the Red Line/Purple Line) to safely pass through one of Los Angeles’ most geologically complex corridors — without explosions, collapsing streets, or cinematic chaos.
Bottom Line
Volcano remains a memorable piece of 1990s disaster cinema, but its portrayal of subway construction is fiction. The real achievement lies in decades of careful planning, modern tunneling technology, and engineering solutions that quietly reshaped Los Angeles beneath its busiest boulevard.
Related Links:
- LA Metro – D Line (Purple Line) Extension Project
- Engineering News-Record: Tunneling Through Gas and Tar in LA
- Los Angeles Times Archive: Methane Risk and Subway Construction
Dreambreaker: A Pickleball Story — A Closer Look at the Documentary and Its Uncredited VoiceLink: https://stmdailynews.com/dreambreaker-a-pickleball-story-a-closer-look-at-the-documentary-and-its-uncredited-voice/
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Entertainment
Beam Unveils Veo 3.1-Powered AI Platform: Transforming Videos into Playable Games and Interactive Stories
Discover Beam’s new Veo 3.1-powered AI platform, transforming videos into playable mini-games and interactive stories—no coding required. Explore the future of interactive media for creators and storytellers.
Last Updated on December 13, 2025 by Daily News Staff
Play and Create
Interactive Shorts
Beam Unveils Veo 3.1-Powered AI Platform: Transforming Videos into Playable Games and Interactive Stories
Video, Reimagined: From Passive Watching to Active Playing
How It Works: No-Code Creation, Limitless Possibilities
- AI-Generated Media: Instantly create video, images, and music using cutting-edge AI tools.
- Drag-and-Drop Grid Editor: Arrange scenes, add branching choices, and build interactive storylines—all visually, right in your browser.
- Instant Publishing: Share your playable mini-games and interactive shorts to the web with a single click.
Free Early Access for Creators
The Future of Interactive Media
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