The 20-year master plan asks for $223-million from the county, including improvements to the terminal and runway.
By MICHAEL SANDLER
Published June 25, 2003
Pinellas County should invest more than $223-million to expand St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport over the next 20 years, the airport's director told county commissioners Tuesday.
Airport officials presented the airport's first master plan since the 1970s as a preview of what they will ask commissioners to formally approve in October.
The plan calls for a $72-million investment over the next five years. That would include nearly $19-million for terminal expansion and $53-million for runway expansion and other facilities.
No expected start date for construction was included, nor were any plans for how the project would be financed.
Airport Director David Metz said that those questions would be answered after commissioners approved the master plan, when a financial consultant would be hired.
"It's very general and very loose at this point," Metz said.
Metz said that the airport could expect annual revenue to increase from more than $6-million to more than $10-million by 2007. That would include a new $3 per ticket passenger facility charge, Metz said.
The terminal improvements are needed, officials said, citing a ticketing area that cannot be expanded to accommodate additional airlines. Airport traffic has grown by more than 40 percent in the last five months, mostly because of three new destinations added by ATA Airlines: Las Vegas, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Metz said his staff will seek comments from the FAA and Florida Department of Transportation before bringing the plan back to the commission in October.
Airport officials have previously announced a $16.7-million plan to extend the runway 300 feet on the north and 900 feet on the south, for a new total of 10,000 feet. The project was aimed at attracting nonstop international flights. Some residents in Safety Harbor and Oldsmar oppose the plan, saying more air traffic would mean noisy planes overhead.
