Construction Update - 11/13/08
Construction Update
November 13, 2008
Construction on the new Panama City/Bay County International Airport remains at least three months ahead of schedule.
Forty percent of the heavy civil contract time has been used and the job is approximately 53% complete.
Runway 16-34:
- The first lift of asphalt base is complete on Runway 16-34. The second lift of asphalt base is nearly 50% complete.
- Concrete should begin to go down on the runway in early December.
- Lighting work on Runway 16-34 is approximately 24% complete.
Taxi Way D:
- Earthwork is almost complete.
- Asphalt paving and lighting work is ongoing.
There are currently 110 pieces of equipment on site and 160 workers.
Additional milestones:
- 5 million cubic yards of material has been excavated to date which is 90% of the expected total.
- 30,000 linear feet of storm sewer is in place (95% of total).
- 35,000 tons of asphalt is in place.
- Concrete paving of Runway 16-34 is now expected to begin in early December.
- The terminal parking lot is 80% complete.
- The project is meeting all interim milestones.
- The terminal building contract is underway.
WMBB Reports on Foreign Trade Zone Effort
WMBB recently filed a news story on the Airport Authority’s effort to make the new airport a Foreign Trade Zone. The story, in part, said:
The new Bay County Airport hopes to boost local economy by adding a Foreign Trade Zone.
At the last Airport Board Meeting the Board authorized staff to pursue application for a Foreign Trade Zone for the new Bay County International Airport, which is currently under construction.
An FTZ would provide incentive to bring in companies. When companies ship materials, they have to pay a tax on them. Many times the taxes on the individual components end up costing them more than the completed good. With a Foreign Trade Zone the companies can import the raw materials, assemble the product, and then only pay a tax when it leaves.
And more companies means more jobs.
The complete story (including video) is available here.
Florida’s Top Transportation Official Tours Airport Site
The Panama City News Herald reported that Florida’s top transportation official toured the new airport under construction. It was the first time she has visited the airport since its groundbreaking a year ago.
According to the News Herald report, Florida Transportation Secretary Stephanie Kopelousos toured the new site just north of County Road 388 with state Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City.
Patronis told the News Herald “she was overwhelmed” by the progress.
Patronis added that the site tour was a way to allow Kopelousos to “get her arms around the scope” of the new airport, which is being built on about 1,300 acres of a 4,000-acre site, with ample room for expansion.
Airport Authority Seeks Free Trade Zone Status
Press Release
AIRPORT AUTHORITY DIRECTS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
TO SEEK FOREIGN TRADE ZONE STATUS FOR NEW AIRPORT
Panama City, FL (Nov. 10, 2008) – The Panama City – Bay County International Airport Authority has directed Airport Executive Director Randy Curtis to evaluate the options for establishing a Foreign trade zone at the new international airport currently under construction in West Bay.
“The airport board believes it is important to establish a Foreign Trade Zone at the new airport in order to maximize its economic development potential,” said Airport Authority chairman Joe Tannehill. “Having a foreign trade status at the new airport will put us in another category altogether and be an important differentiator in competing for new jobs and business expansions.”
The action taken by the Airport Authority is in consideration of extensive statistics documenting the importance of foreign trade to the Florida economy. It noted that establishing a Foreign Trade Zone at the new Panama City - Bay County airport would make the new facility one of 10 airports in Florida.
Airport board members agreed that Foreign Trade Zone in West Bay would benefit the community and the region by facilitating and expediting international trade, providing special customs procedures as a public service to help firms conduct business, encouraging and facilitating exports, attracting offshore activity, assisting state/local economic development efforts and creating employment opportunities.
The action taken directs Airport Executive Director Randy Curtis to begin immediately preliminary work to create a Foreign Trade Zone at the new international airport in WestBay.
Specifically, the board asked Curtis to develop options for the airport board to consider concerning the size and boundaries of the trade zone, including a discussion of the costs and benefits associated with each option presented. Further, the board asked Curtis to investigate public/private partnerships to stimulate intermodal infrastructure development.
Florida Trade Facts:
The U.S. is the world’s largest trading nation, exporting nearly $1.3 trillion in goods and services and more than one-fifth of the growth in U.S. GDP depends on exports. (1)
Manufacturing exports support an estimated 5.2 million jobs, including 1 in 5 manufacturing jobs, and jobs supported by goods exports pay 13-18% higher than the average wage. (2)
More than 30,000 companies export from Florida locations, including more than 28,000 small and medium-sized businesses. (3)
Florida’s export shipments of merchandise in 2007 totaled $45 billion, up 80 percent from $25 billion in 2003, ranking sixth among the states in terms of total exports in 2007, and exporting to 222 foreign destinations. (4)
1 - Office of the United States Trade Representative, 2005 data (latest available).
2 - Office of the United States Trade Representative, 2002 data (latest available).
3- International Trade Administration and Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade Division (2006 data).
4 - Revised Origin of Movement State Export Series, Bureau of the Census, Foreign Trade Division (2007 data).
Contact:
The Panama City Bay County International Airport
Randy Curtis, Executive Director, 850-763-6751 ext. 203
