St. Pete-Clearwater airport approved for $110 million expansion
The walkway to St. Pete Clearwater International Airport’s main terminal | St. pete-Clearwater International Airport
Pinellas County Commissioners have greenlit funding requests and contracts to allow the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) to embark on a $110 million terminal expansion, bringing more flights and offerings to Pinellas County.
The airport, located in north St. Pete at 14700 Terminal Boulevard, served 2.5 million passengers last year and currently has non-stop routes to over 60 cities through Allegiant Air.
During a Tuesday Pinellas County commission meeting, officials approved an agreement for the airport to enter into a $14.33 million contract with New York-based C&S Companies to design and construct the new and expanded terminal.
A rendering of the terminal expansion and additional capacity | St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport
The project will add more gates for existing and future airlines, consolidate the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) checkpoints, bring a new level for passenger boarding, and space for new food and beverage vendors.
In working with Pinellas County, PIE released a request for proposals earlier this month soliciting a construction manager to spearhead the massive expansion and work with C&S Companies.
Interested contractors must submit bids by May 24th.
A defined scope of work for the selected construction manager will be determined before awarding a contract.
Multiple restaurants lease space inside PIE, including 3 daughters brewing | Jorge Alvarez
At the same meeting, county commissioners approved a 2024 application requesting a grant for $6 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The grant would allow PIE to begin design work on the terminal expansion.
With the grant and needed contractors, airport officials expect to commence construction of the expansion in 2026.
The airco site adjacen to PIE’s taxiways | Pinellas County records
Additionally, commissioners agreed to submit a $2.5 million Public Transportation Grant Agreement (PTGA) with the Florida Department of Transportation for the design and environmental site preparation for a separate airport property known as Airco.
The nearly 100-acre Airco site, which formerly housed a golf course, is the largest contiguous piece of developable land in Pinellas County.
Once infrastructure is complete, the property could be developed into aviation and non-aviation uses.