St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker should recognize the importance of University of South Florida to the city and offer up some of Albert Whitted Airport's land.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker has finally stepped into the debate over the future of Albert Whitted Airport. He's not ready to close the city-owned airport and redevelop the 100 acres for other uses. That puts him in opposition to those who think the waterfront property is much more valuable without the airport there. But the mayor is not ready to put millions of tax dollars into an airport improvement plan, either. That puts him in opposition to a small but influential group of airport supporters.

Has Baker found a wise middle course for the airport? Yes and no. He is right to withhold his support for an expensive plan that would build a new terminal and enlarge runways at the airport. The city would have to come up with $4.2-million in matching money for the project, and Baker recognizes that with its tight budget and many needs, the city doesn't have that kind of money to waste. Also, by accepting government grants for the airport, the city would be tying up the property for two decades or more, a decision future city officials would regret.

Instead, Baker says the city should spend its time and money deciding what to do with its oldest sewer plant, which sits on the airport property. He wants to repair the plant and determine the cost of diverting the sewage to the city's three other sewer plants, which are newer and have plenty of capacity. Again, that is a prudent course to follow. The downtown sewer plant is a smelly eyesore that poses a public health risk, and it will have to be fixed no matter what happens to the airport.

Where Baker's vision is shortsighted is in the role the University of South Florida's St. Petersburg campus plays in all of this. Baker said he doesn't see a relationship between the university's needs and the airport's future and isn't inclined to consider giving any of the land to USF, whose campus bumps up against the airport.

While the airport is struggling financially, the university is beginning an expansion that will more than double its enrollment in the next 10 years. That means USF will need land for classrooms, student housing and other facilities. A small part of the airport's 100 acres would be enough to help USF meets its needs, and that would pay the city dividends well beyond any other use for the land.

It would be a mistake for Baker to underestimate the university's importance to the city, especially to the downtown area. It offers a unique educational opportunity to city residents, including programs in medicine, education and marine science. It boosts retail sales and property values and creates jobs. It brings a sophistication to city life that cannot be gained from any other endeavor.

Baker should consider the university's competing needs. Its proximity to the airport already imposes severe limitations on the campus, from restricted building heights to constant noise pollution from the airplanes and helicopters. Baker should give university advocates at least as much of a hearing as he gives airport supporters. By almost any measure, the university is more important to St. Petersburg.

Back to Opinion

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright

From the Times
Opinion page