Groundbreaking Ceremony for New Panama City Airport
Panama City Airport officials broke ground recently at the new location of the Panama City-Bay County Airport. About 1000 people gathered to watch the ceremonies including a number of government officials, Airport Authority members, and representatives from the St Joe Company and the Audubon of Florida. State Representatives Mari Coley (R-Marianna) and Jimmy Patronis (R-Panama City) served as co-masters of ceremonies for the event. Governor Charlie Crist was scheduled to be at the ceremony, but was unable to attend at the last minute. He sent an audio taped a message, which was played during the event.

The ceremony marked the end of a 10-year process of design and planning. It also put in motion the West Bay Sector Plan, which is a plan for development of the 34,000 acres that run along the new airport site. Area leaders are hopeful this new development will help the real estate market in the area bounce back after two years of a downward trend.

An Economic Rebound
Airport Authority chairman Joe Tannehill expressed some emotion as he as talked about the start of the $330 million project. The airport will be the first to be constructed since 9-11 and may just become a model for how airports will be built in the future, balancing economic development with the need to preserve natural habitats. In his taped message, Governor Crist described the airport as “America’s first truly green airport.”

Balancing Development with Preservation
As a part of the relocation plan, more than 40,000 acres of St. Joe land in the West Bay sector will be protected and preserved. This will create a major conservation sector in West Florida and provide the area an opportunity to participate in the growing ecotourism trend. At the ceremony, Audubon Director Eric Draper said, “There is a great story being written today, a story of balance” between the environment and economic development.”

In an agreement made earlier this year between the Audubon of Florida and the St. Joe Company, the Audubon of Florida will oversee a new Audubon Center of West Bay and will manage the conservation area. The St. Joe Company will develop another 34,000 acres around the airport into commercial, office and light industrial space. New recreational facilities and more than 5000 new homes are also planned for the area.

Work on the site will begin immediately and will take about 30 months to complete the airport’s first phase. The airport is set to open in early 2010.

New Airport, New Name?
Recently, local businessman Charles Hilton called for the renaming
of the airport to reflect the areas beyond Bay County that the airport will serve, including Washington, Holmes, Jackson and Walton counties. This may be somewhat difficult to do, since changing the name may mean changing the 3-letter code (currently PFN) used to identify the airport in national and international aviation databases. But an FAA spokesperson said that the 3-letter code does not necessarily have to be changed to reflect the new name. He notes the change of Newark’s airport to Newark Liberty International Airport after 9-11. The name of the airport was changed but the 3-letter code remained the same. The Airport Authority has yet to take Hilton’s suggestion under consideration.

Sources:
Regional name for airport sought, November 4, 2007, The News Herald, FL - Nov 3, 2007
Airport groundbreaking marks development boon, The News Herald, FL - Nov 1, 2007