St. Pete-Clearwater Airport moves forward with redeveloping 128-acre Airco site
/An aerial of the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, which has two main runways | St. Pete Rising
A former golf course property spanning 128 acres next to the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE) is set to be redeveloped, beginning with the construction of a new taxiway that will lay the groundwork for a future aviation business park.
For the past two decades, PIE has been working toward redeveloping the county-owned property known as the Airco site. The site is the largest contiguous piece of developable land in Pinellas County. PIE is now moving forward with selecting a contractor for the first phase of the project, a new taxiway located off Ulmerton Road.
“The taxiway is the first step to redeveloping the property and providing the infrastructure for future businesses there, especially aviation companies, which we’ve seen a lot of demand for,” said PIE Public Relations Director Michelle Routh in a conversation with St. Pete Rising.
Several structures, including an old clubhouse, still stand on the site. Pinellas County Economic Development is already marketing the property to potential tenants.
The airco site poised for revelopment | St. Pete Rising
The site will be split into a 117.8-acre business park with 75 acres are zoned for aviation-related uses and 42.8 acres are designated for non-aviation businesses. The southernmost 10 acres of the site, located closest to Ulmerton Road, will allow for commercial uses such as restaurants and hotels, creating a new revenue source for the airport.
An additional 46.5-acre parcel between the Feather Sound community and the Airco site will serve as a green buffer to reduce noise concerns from nearby residents.
The new taxiway will be located on the east side of the airport’s main runway, Runway 18-36, connecting to Taxiway G at the end of Runway 36. The Invitation to Bid for Construction (ITB-C) was advertised on August 1 to solicit a contractor.
A technical overview of the new taxiways along with a color-coordinated phasing plan | pie
The taxiway project is funded through an $11.4 million grant from the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) and a $4.7 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). The full redevelopment of the site is expected to exceed $30 million.
“Once a contractor is selected, the contract will go before the Board of County Commissioners this fall,” said Routh.
Following approval, construction is expected to begin and take just over a year to complete. A non-mandatory pre-conference and site visit will be held on August 15. The bid qualification deadline is August 26, and the bid submission deadline is September 9. More information is available on the Pinellas County Procurement Portal.
“After the taxiway phase, the next advertisement will be a request for proposals for the aviation-use parcel, although we do not anticipate that to happen for a while,” Routh said.
PIE currently serves more than 2 million passengers annually and offers over 60 nonstop flights through Allegiant Air and Sun Country Airlines.
A massing rendering of St. pete-Clearwater’s planned terminal expansion | PIE
The Airco taxiway project is one of several major upgrades planned for the airport. PIE has begun the design phase for a terminal expansion estimated to cost more than $110 million.
The expansion will add more gates, consolidate TSA checkpoints, provide a new boarding level, and include space for new food and beverage vendors.
The airport is also moving forward with plans for its first parking garage. The four-level structure will include at least 1,300 spaces and an adjacent 500-space surface lot. It will replace the 778-space Strawberry PIE Lot as the main economy parking option, while the Key Lime PIE Lot will remain in use.
In addition, private aircraft and charter management company Elite Air is developing a Jet Center at PIE. The project includes a 5,000-square-foot private terminal and 60,000 square feet of hangar space.
A new taxiway, Taxiway N, is also being constructed to connect to the airport’s two main runways and the new jet center. Taxiway N is expected to be completed by December 2025, with the Elite Jet Center set to open by April 2026.
Another project under construction is a new 43,000-square-foot hangar being built on a 5.14-acre site leased by Sheltair, a fixed-base operator. The new hangar will house helicopters and planes from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office (PSCO). PSCO is expected to occupy the facility by the end of the year.
