I attended the CONA meeting this evening and listened to two members of the Airport Advisory Board present the Master Plan that is in the process of development by a consulting group hired by the City. The plan is a 20 year plan and would be implemented in phases. Phase one involves extending a runway by building 300 feet into the bay in order to meet the current minimun FAA safety standards. Phase two involves extending the runway an additional 300 feet into the bay for a total of 600, and then phase 3 calls for a total of a 4300 foot extension into the bay in order to move/extend runways to direct air traffic out into the airspace over water rather than over a densely populated area.

Several years ago, the City Council and Mayor approved a new terminal, and the airport will reportedly break ground for that in about 6 months. The Advisory Board reps. stated that there are no plans to attempt to bring in larger jets. The plan is to increase safety and amenities to continue to attract corporate planes from companies that have their offices in St. Pete, such as JMC. They stated that while revenues directly from the tenants is only 700,000 dollars annually, the economic impact of the airport is 21 million dollars annually.
The plan has not been finalized, and it's not too late for the public to call and write the City Council and the Mayor with your input.
Tim Clemmons, local architect, presented a proposal that we think about whether an airport is the best land use and the most economically beneficial for that piece of land. He proposed removal of the airport since the needs can be met by St. Pete/Clwtr Airport and suggested redevelopment of the land as 35 acres of public waterfront park; high density residential in the form of high-end luxury condominiums; 100,000 square feet of retail space; and 800,000 square feet of space for a USF/private sector research complex.
Many people voiced approval of the public parkland idea, but objected to more waterfront luxury condominiums. The CONA decision was to continue to express adamant opposition to any building out into the bay. There was a vote to recommend to the Council acquisition of an economic study of the benefits of the airport versus the benefits of other use.

Airport

Susan's report is very accurate. We have taken opposition to the extension into the bay for the past year. The CONA board voted againist it over a year ago.
We now are asking for each neighborhood to get a hold of their Councilperson and ask them to VOTE NO to extending the runways into the bay. We dont need a larger runway, two football fields length, into the bay.
They claim that the extension is for safety but increasing the length from 3700 to 4300 doesn't add up. They land and take off there every day without a problem. The FAA only requested a bumper of 300 ft for safety.
Did you hear that Jet last week practicing take offs and landings? Roser park did.

Condos etc. on airport property

I too heard the presentations last Wed, and was very impressed by my first CONA meeting.

I'm concerned about more and more plans for luxury condos ($1/4 mil and up to me is luxury); I don't know of anyone thinking about $80 - $180,000 housing. One very negative thing about luxury condos; they tend to be vacated during summer and maybe many other months; with hurricane shutters drawn, they look ghostly. (Check out Tierra Verde from the water!) NOT an asset to our city.

Do we really need more? I think I recently saw an ''available'' sign at one of the new luxury condos downtown.

Who will be doing this economic impact study, and what will be their point of view? I think it's of major importance to have a variety of perspectives on it.

City Park

I wasn't real impressed with more Condo's. I do feel that a city park would be a great asset to the city.We sold the property on US 19 for 14 million which is supposed to be used for parks.It would be great ,to use some of that money ,to turn this into another beachfront park.
This would benifit everyone instead of a select few.