Print

Email story

Comment

Letter to the editor

Airport tenants a source of debate

Albert Whitted supporters say preference should go to those already there.St. Petersburg

By CRISTINA SILVA, Times Staff Writer
Published August 15, 2007

A proposal to award national vendors retail space in a new terminal at Albert Whitted Municipal Airport has stirred up hard feelings over the future of the historic facility.

City officials are in the process of selecting tenants for the terminal, which is slated to open this year.

Among the favorite contenders so far are an aircraft taxi service that is not yet in operation and a nationally recognized rental car company.

But longtime supporters of the airport argue the city should have given preference to aviation companies already operating from the facility.

They have chalked up the bidding process as simply the latest snub from city officials, who have traditionally not supported the airport.

"They are trying to attract new businesses. They don't care about the people who are already here at all," said Thomas Hurley, owner of Bi-Plane Rides, a sightseeing venture that has operated from Albert Whitted for more than two decades.

"They just don't like us because we are the ones who fought to keep the airport open," he said.

Areas of discord

The terminal will consist of two counter spaces on the first floor and an aviation-theme restaurant on the second floor.

Construction crews are currently putting the finishing touches on the 10,000-square-foot building, which broke ground just over a year ago.

One of the counters on the first floor will most likely be awarded to Bay Air Flying Service, which has provided fuel and other services to pilots at the airport for decades.

The other counter, a 155-square-foot space, is the subject of the contentious debate.

City officials said they are considering splitting that small retail area among several of the applicants, including Avis Rent A Car, DayJet, the aircraft taxi service, and Bay Air Charter and Bi-Planes Rides, which both currently operate from the airport.

"The goal is to attract new users to the airport," said Richard Lesniak, airport manager. "We are hoping for more of a corporate or business user."

Lesniak said it would not have been fair to simply award the terminal space to businesses already operating within the airport.

"We have tried to be unbiased and make sure it's a competitive field for everybody and judge them based on their proposals and make sure everyone got a fair shake," he said.

But Hurley said dividing the small counter among vendors would make the space unusable.

The committee in charge of selecting the terminal vendors is composed of three city employees, including Lesniak. Ultimately, the mayor's office will be in charge of which companies will be awarded the space.

The committee has held several public meetings, but airport users said voters were not given a chance to offer their input otherwise.

Committee members declined to discuss the terminal space outside of meetings.

"They didn't ask the customers, the people who use the airport, what they wanted," said pilot Jack Tunstill, chairman of the Albert Whitted advisory committee. "There are a lot of people out here who have strong opinions on what the airport should be and they should have listened to them."

It's here to stay

In recent years, the city's management of Albert Whitted has been a touchy subject for the pilots and passengers who have frequented the airport for decades.

In 2003, city officials proposed closing one of the airport's runways and selling dozens of acres for new waterfront development, but voters overwhelmingly shot down that plan in a citywide referendum.

Lesniak, who was appointed as manager of the airport after the referendum, denied accusations that the city was trying to sabotage the terminal project by purposely ignoring local aircraft operators.

"I can't say I have ever seen or heard anything that anyone in the city wants to see or close down the airport," he said. "I think we are trying to look out for the best long term growth of the airport."

"The airport is not going anywhere. The voters made that very clear," he added.

Cristina Silva can be reached at 727 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 14, 2007, 20:12:28]