Newsletter News: Final Post

I owe you all an apology for being AWOL for so long.

It’s not that there wasn’t any news - there certainly was. I had expected to take a short hiatus over Christmas and New Years and to think about a new direction for the newsletter focusing on the broader issues of economic development and the need to build a regional identity and marketing approach now that airport construction has gotten underway.

That absence was extended due to some serious health issues with my Mother. She was admitted to a hospital in Jacksonville followed by a rehab facility and then a “nursing home.” It is now clear to my wife and I that we need to become full-time care givers which will require most of our attention and energy. Consequently, the newsletter will not return to cyberspace.

I regret the need to do this but staying engaged in the all that needs to be done from our new home in Melbourne is just not practical. I appreciate those of you who inquired about “what’s going on?’’ And thanks to those of you who actually told me you missed the newsletter and how much you valued it.

I am proud to have been associated with the airport project and will follow its progress. Importantly, in addition to building the airport there is much work to be done in the region to realize the vision that I have consistently referred to as the “opportunity of a generation.”

That work is discussed in the following article which will be my last to be posted to the site.

Let me conclude with high praise for the current Airport Authority Board. These gentlemen have invested an inordinate amount of time and effort in bringing the new airport to actual construction.

I had wanted to spend some time with each of them in an attempt to quantify just how much time and effort they expend in any given month and to tease out the “Why” for that effort. They are uncompensated and frequently unappreciated for their effort. They are extraordinary men who are committed to their community and the future prosperity of Bay County and those who live in Bay County.

I’m convinced that they do it (1) because they think it is an issue critical to the future and (2) they apparently feel they can make a difference. Indeed they have.

Joe Tannehill’s leadership of the Board and singular commitment to what he sees as his role are remarkable and worthy of praise and emulation. He and Bill Cramer log the largest number of hours each day, week, and month and deserve not just our appreciation, but our respect and admiration as well. They have mine, deserve yours and should hear from you as well.

Gerry Clemons has long been a personal champion of mine. His love for, commitment to, and service to Panama City too demands our respect, admiration and appreciation. It troubles me that it might be diminished in any way by discussions about ways in which to honor his and Barbara’s work in just one area of his legacy, the arts.

Bay County is very fortunate to have the kind of leadership people like Joe Tannehill, Bill Cramer and Gerry Clemmons provide. One day, in the not to far distant future, I predict there will be people in Bay County wondering why we didn’t move the airport sooner.

The St. Joe Company, the county's largest landowner, has also earned my respect. Nearly ten years ago, the Airport Authority asked St. Joe for help with a potential relocation of the airport after efforts to extend the runway at the current site failed. St. Joe agreed to help - and their commitment has made this project possible.

Not only did St. Joe donate 4,000 acres for the airport, they also donated 10,000 acres for mitigation and entered a sector planning process with the county and the state. The resulting West Bay Sector Plan led to the creation of the 40,000 acre West Bay Preservation Area and provided a large-scale, long-term land use plan for northwestern Bay County.

With the airport and the West Bay Sector Plan, we have a blueprint for the future, a real plan that will allow our region to grow responsibly while protecting the best part of Bay County forever.

It’s been an honor and a privilege to participate in this process, and I look forward to the day the maiden flight takes off from the new Panama City – Bay County International Airport. More than that, I look forward to the day ground is broken and the ribbon is cut on the regional employment center just outside the airport gate.

Respectfully,

Ed Wright

The Future: It's More Than Building a New Airport

As construction of the new airport proceeds on schedule, it is clear that we need to get busy putting all the other pieces of this jigsaw puzzle together. Approval of the airport relocation was key to approaching the vision for the West Bay Sector Plan and to realize its many different benefits to the region.

The following are thoughts about just some of the things that need to be underway:

The preservation of West Bay, by setting aside nearly 40,000 acres of conservation land, established a remarkable and unparallel public-private partnership and opportunity.

• Currently the leading edge of this conservation effort is the planned Audubon Nature Center. The communities of Bay and Walton Counties and businesses and residents need to get behind the Audubon Society’s efforts to make this world-class Nature Center a reality. It has enormous potential for education, reputation, conservation, tourism, and (yes) economic development as well.

A coordinated growth and land use plan for development that involves the counties adjacent to Bay County and contiguous to the West Bay Sector Plan is needed.

• A mechanism is needed to guide an integrated effort that addresses the impact and economic development opportunities for Jackson and Washington counties and existing coordinating entities. Growth associated with the development of the industrial areas associated with the new airport has the potential to involve these counties to a large extent.

The West Bay Sector Plan creates space and opportunity for economic development opportunities to create new and better jobs driven by the types of aviation-related and aviation-friendly industry that potentially can be attracted to this Greenfield airport site.

• The Bay County EDA should already be actively engaged in developing specific target industries that are consistent with the opportunities the new airport creates. Perhaps you will remember the EADS refueling tanker site location competition in which the new airport was judged to be very competitive had the time line EADS and the Air Force required been workable.

• The actual recent Air Force award of the refueling aircraft contract to Northrop Grummond and EADS should serve as a signal that Bay County and the region is in a very unique and favorable position. It truly has something to sell and shouldn’t be waiting for the airport opening or for an interested inquiry to arrive in the “inbox” to begin this marketing work

The new airport creates the opportunity to create new tourism markets and new and better air service.

• A redefinition of the destination that is more than Panama City Beach – stretching from Apalachicola to Fort Walton – is essential.

It is pretty obvious that just building an airport will not accomplish these objectives. In this regard, the airport is necessary but not sufficient.

What now has to happen is for the communities and counties surrounding the area of the West Bay Sector Plan -- their citizens, governments, infrastructure planners, businesses, Chambers of Commerce, tourism organizations, and other interested parties need to begin the work of building a regional approach to defining the opportunity that is being created.

The newly formed Coastal Vision 3000 group is a great step in this direction. The narrow interests of the various counties and markets need to be moderated with a regional perspective.

More than nine months ago the airport and the Chambers of Commerce in Bay County along with their parallel economic development and tourism organizations came together to sponsor a forum to discuss these issues and subsequently created a Regional Airport Commerce Council to start building the kind of inter-agency task force needed to tackle the work that needs to be done.

Unfortunately, that effort has floundered.

It seems to me that the primary reasons for its failure are as follows. First, it was perhaps a little premature in its conception because if you’re not ready to put manpower on the tasks identified, then you’re doomed to do little more than spin your wheels.

Second, you can’t talk about a regional effort if it doesn’t extend beyond Bay County. For example, when you conclude there needs to be a broader tourism brand developed to embrace all the service areas impacted by the new airport, you have to build a process to engage all the people involved in that market. That applies to areas other than tourism as well. And, you’ve got to have a leader to manage the process.

Finally - and this is really important - there is a distinct lack of coordinated communications among the critical players in this process. The airport administration seriously needs to address this deficiency and take a leadership role in coordinating the messages its partners send about the airport.

The recent unfortunate spat over VPS closing perhaps could have been avoided had there been a communications plan in place at the airport and a strong communications presence on behalf of the Airport.

Now before someone gets too unhappy with these observations, I do recognize that there are specific actions that must be taken on the basis of political boundaries and authorities. However, once done it is essential that these actions be coordinated with those outside those boundaries who will be either affected by the actions of a political/legal entity or who could potentially assist the objectives in a broader, more regional approach.

If we can come together as a region, if we can overcome our propensity for turf battles, then I truly believe Northwest Florida claim its position as the best part of Florida – and we can serve as a shining example of a region that got it right.

A Regional Airport?

There was a very interesting article in Sunday’s News Herald (11/4/07) about the need for the new airport to have a regional name and identity. This is definitely something we should discuss and consider.

For this airport to truly live up to its potential, it will need to serve the entire region, not just Panama City – Bay County.

And with Eglin’s training mission rapidly increasing, one has to wonder about the future of Okaloosa Regional Airport.

Will the U.S. Air Force continue to allow commercial aviation on a military base where fighter pilots are being trained? Is that a good idea?

Maybe it’s time to consider “Northwest Florida Regional Airport” – or something like that.

Hey, it worked in the Ft. Myers/Naples area with Southwest Florida Regional Airport.

Food for thought. If anyone has any thoughts to share on this subject, I'd love to hear from you.

Send an email to westbayflorida (at) gmail (dot) com

Groundbreaking Success!

Last week, I was unable to attend the airport groundbreaking ceremony – but Jason Koertge at PCBDaily had such great coverage of the event, I felt like I was there.

After talking to people who did attend and reading the mainstream media coverage, I have to say: What an event!

More than 1,000 people showed up to help celebrate the day. Organizers originally expected about 100. It had the feeling of a new beginning, which of course, it was.

The message of the day was the balance this community has found between economic development and environmental protection. It’s something of which we should all be very proud.

Governor Crist was called to Washington on official business, and was unable to attend. But he did provide taped remarks. He said:

The new Panama City-Bay County International Airport will serve as a national model for economic transformation and environmental preservation…

It will revitalize, diversify and grow the economy. It will mean better jobs for the people of Northwest Florida and a better future for the children of Northwest Florida…

Representative Marti Coley summed up the day nicely with her remarks:

Today we are here to celebrate not one, but two beginnings.

We are breaking ground on the new Panama City – Bay County International Airport, a project that will provide this region with a dynamic economic development platform and will deliver to this region improved air service.

But today also marks the beginning of an unprecedented effort to protect forever one of Florida’s most important environmental treasures. West Bay.

But the best moment of the day, according to many who were present, came when fifth-grader Victoria Whitmire took the stage. On behalf of the children of Bay County, she presented Audubon Conservation Director Eric Draper with a long-leaf pine seedling, and said: “Mr. Audubon, will you take care of this for us?” Priceless.

Not to be upstaged, Draper followed her presentation with very eloquent remarks about the environmental opportunities that grew out of the need to relocate the airport.

You can see all this and more with the coverage provided at PCBDaily.

Now we all have to work together to make the airport the success we all know it can be.

PCBDaily Coverage of Airport Groundbreaking

Jason Koertge, writer, producer, and publisher of PDBDaily.com has done a fantastic job documenting the airport groundbreaking last week. You really must see his coverage of the event. It really provides a "you are there" feeling.

You can find his coverage here.

And his summary video is below. Way to go Jason! Fabulous work!

Friday at the Beach to Highlight Audubon Nature Center

On November 9th, the Panama City Beaches Chamber’s Friday at the Beach breakfast will feature Linda Macbeth from Florida Audubon. Linda will discuss Audubon's plans to build a world class nature center in West Bay.

Here are the details from the Chamber's invitation:

Join Linda Macbeth from Audubon of Florida in an engaging presentation at The Greater Panama City Beaches Chamber’s upcoming Friday at the Beach breakfast. The event will be held Friday, November 9th at Edgewater Beach Resort, from 7:30 to 9:00 AM. Knology, Wilson-Miller and First National Bank of Northwest Florida are sponsoring the event. The Master of Ceremonies, as always, is Paris Janos of WJGH News Channel 7.

The event is open to the public at no charge. Please RSVP to Bertie@pcbeach.org or Joyce@pcbeach.org.

Governor Crist to Attend Groundbreaking?

The News Herald is reporting that Florida Governor Charlie Crist may be attending the airport's ceremonial groundbreaking on November 1.

When the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Section 404 permit was issued in August, Governor Crist praised the new airport's economic development and environmental protection potential.

Date Set for Groundbreaking Ceremony!

Early this morning the Airport Authority began emailing invitations to a “Ceremonial Groundbreaking” for the new airport, to be held on Thursday, November 1, at 9:30 a.m.

If you need information about the event, send an email to: patty@pcairport.com

This community has worked nearly ten years to reach this day.

Congratulations to Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill; Airport Board Members Bill Cramer, Gerry Clemons, Rick Koehnemann and Andy McKenzie; Airport Executive Director Randy Curtis; and the countless others who have contributed to the process and worked so hard to bring better air service, economic development opportunities and environmental protection to our region.

Airport Gets Grant to Help Attract Low Cost Carrier

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded a $575,000 grant to the Panama City airport to help attract a low cost carrier to the region and to help current airlines expand their service. The federal dollars will be matched with $529,500 in cash and in-kind contributions from the local business community.

It’s good news for Bay County – but the folks in Okaloosa County reacted a little differently. Here’s how The Northwest Florida Daily News covered the story:

“Okaloosa Regional Airport has been passed over for a $500,000 grant that would have been used to bring a low-cost airline to the area…

“We’re very disappointed,” said Mike Stenson, financial analyst at the Okaloosa Regional Airport.

“Neighboring Panama City was the sole winner from Florida, receiving a $575,000 Small Community Air Service grant. [emphasis added]

“Officials say there is no clear explanation why Okaloosa was shut out of the grant program.”

One explanation might be that the new Panama City airport represents the future of air service in the region. With Eglin AFB’s mission expanding, that is probably a good thing all around.

As we approach a groundbreaking for the new airport, the effort to attract better air service to the region has to begin in earnest.

New Airport to Serve as Aviation Security Test Site

Navy officials announced that the new Panama City – Bay County airport would serve as a test site for security innovations made by the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Panama City, and implemented by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA).

TSA’s Advanced Technology Evaluation Center will begin at the current airport but will fully realize its mission at the new airport.

One early joint project will be designed to enhance perimeter security with a system that uses wireless cameras, sensors and motion detection devices to monitor the fence line of an area.

More cutting-edge security technologies will be tested at the new airport. The new airport is being designed with input from TSA to facilitate their ability to test new security procedures and technologies.

This is very exciting news for our new airport, and is an indicator of its economic development potential. If the new airport is successful as a test bed for new security technologies, it would likely attract many new technologies companies to the area.

Stay tuned for more important news on this opportunity.