Architects present terminal design and near-term permitting plan for Clearwater airfield redevelopment

Chip Hayward, vice president of architecture for AID and architect of record, and Kyle Holly, vice president of engineering for AID and engineer of record, presented the site plan, terminal design and permitting status for the Clearwater airfield redevelopment project to the AirPark Advisory Board.

Hayward described the terminal as an H-shaped general aviation facility that preserves the existing apron, provides a covered front drop-off and a north parking lot sized for about 135 spaces (including ADA stalls). He said interior programming includes an FBO area, flight school space, passenger and pilot lounges, a public community/meeting room and second-floor meeting rooms with a bridge opening to the lobby.

Hayward said the total terminal area is “just slightly less than 18,000 square feet.” He described finishes under consideration (standing-seam metal roof, blue-tinted glass, glulam beams, polished concrete floors and lit graphic wall panels in restrooms) and showed elevations and sections illustrating the building’s glazed lobby and exposed glulam beams. The team said the building will use impact-rated glass and be designed for high wind loads; final wind-speed design values were not provided at the meeting and will be delivered by the design team after review.

From an airfield and permitting standpoint, AID reported the survey and geotechnical work required for site design is complete. The firm said it submitted the Southwest Florida Water Management District permit application and that the building-permit application had been submitted the week of the meeting. AID said the base-bid scope includes construction of a new parallel taxiway and apron work that will move aircraft parking out of safety areas; alternates in the bid package would allow the city to take advantage of additional FDOT funds if contractor pricing is favorable.

The design team presented the project’s current construction-cost estimate: the base bid is roughly $1.6 million. Kyle Holly said AID benchmarked the estimate against similar recent projects (Arcadia, Albert Whitted) and added bid alternates to spend available FDOT funding if contractor bids permit. The team said a contractor bid package is nearly ready; the city-side project manager will handle the procurement and a construction manager is expected to join in the near future.

On schedule, project participants said the parking and terminal plans should be ready for permitting in the coming quarter, with a hoped-for construction start in the third quarter if permits and funding align; one presenter noted the operator’s earlier suggestion that terminal completion could be as early as first quarter 2027 but cautioned that schedules may take longer once contractors’ schedules and permit comments are resolved.

AID also described resilience features: instead of a permanently installed standby generator, the terminal will include two quick-connects for portable generators so the building can be powered in emergencies and used as a staging or command location for responders. Hayward said the design team intends the building to be usable for emergency staging, citing a similar terminal used after a hurricane at Punta Gorda.

Board members asked about provisions for food service; Hayward said the terminal includes a concession area capable of providing prepackaged and heated meals and that any full-service restaurant would likely be sited in a future building north of the terminal footprint. The design team provided a finish sample (polished concrete) and said they would circulate materials after the meeting.

Ending: The design team said they will submit 90 percent architectural documents to city staff and Paradise (city consultant) the following week and will track permit comments and contractor-bid timing. The board was asked to remain available for later design reviews as the procurement moves ahead.