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Bay County, Florida Builds International Airport

Bay County International Airport will be the first airport built in the U.S. since 9-11. It will replace an existing airport that was built in 1948 and is constrained by residential and business development on three sides and North Bay on the fourth side. The existing airport's Runway Safety Areas (RSAs) do not meet current federal standards. The new airport is being built on a “greenfield” site with ample room for current operations and room to grow to meet greater demand for the next 50 years. Also, the new airport is part of a larger West Bay Area Sector Plan (see below) which has three primary three goals:

• Improve air service to the region
• Provide an opportunity for economic growth
• Protect West Bay and its watershed forever

Owner/Developer: The Panama City - Bay County Airport and Industrial District (Airport Authority), an independent authority governed by a five-member board.

Location: Northwest Bay County, Florida, north of County Highway 388 approximately five miles west of State Highway 77.
Latitude: 30 degrees 21 min. 28.092 sec. N.
Longitude: 85 degrees 47 min. 56.121 sec. W.
Site Size: The new airport will be built on approximately 1,300 acres of a 4,000-acre site. The site has ample room for expansion.

Airport Dimensions: Primary Runway: 8,400 feet x 150 feet
Crosswind Runway: 5,000 feet x 100 feet
Terminal: 105,000 square feet
Gates: Seven

Project Cost: Approximately $330 million with funds coming in equal one-third shares from the federal and state governments and airport authority revenues. No local taxes will be used.
This cost includes work already done such as feasibility and site selection studies, environmental impact statement and mitigation plans and permitting, plus continuing work for design, financing and construction.

The West Bay Sector Plan: The West Bay Area Sector Plan is an overarching land use plan for the development and conservation of approximately 75,000 acres in Northwestern Bay County. It is among the largest mixed use planned communities in the United States. Included in the Sector Plan are the airport site, land for residential, commercial and business development and some 41,000 acres designated for perpetual conservation of the shoreline, adjacent wetlands and the watershed of West Bay. Mitigation on the conservation site, which will return the land to pre-industrial conditions, will begin at the same time as construction of the new airport. This conservation area covers approximately 60 square miles and includes 33 miles of bay front and 44 miles of creek front. It is one of the largest conservation set asides in Florida. The area will be available for non-intrusive recreational activities such as kayaking, fishing, birding, hiking and the simple pleasure of enjoying a beautiful area. State and local environmental groups including Audubon of Florida, 1000 Friends of Florida and the Florida Wildlife Federation participated in the sector planning process. Audubon of Florida is planning a Nature Center on part of the conservation site.

Green Terminal: The Airport Authority has committed that the new airport terminal will be certified “green” under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program of the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEEDS program is a voluntary certification program that defines high-performance buildings which are more environmentally responsible.
Development Team:

Owner: Panama City - Bay County Airport and Industrial District (Airport Authority)

Airport Director: Randy Curtis, Executive Director
Panama City - Bay County International Airport

Design Manager: Post, Buckley, Schuh & Jerrigan (PBS&J)

Project/Construction
Manager: Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR)

Site Preparation
Contractor: Phoenix Construction