Winter Haven seeks funding for airport upgrades, recommends Commerce Park award

City staff recommended the city award the Airport Commerce Park Phase 1 construction contract and sought approvals for airport safety upgrades at an agenda-review session May 11.

Troy Heidel, the airport’s presenter, told commissioners that ITB 26-01 covers ramp infrastructure tying into a planned 38,000-square-foot facility and that a recommendation had been posted to award the work to CW Roberts Contracting at a bid price of $1,152,145.99. He said the project is funded in part through a PTGA public-transportation grant with FDOT; staff reported $420,000 in grant funding and a $420,000 match already budgeted in FY25.

Heidel also described problems with the PAPI (precision approach path indicator) lights on Runway 5 and presented a proposed FDOT grant amendment that would add $285,385 to the original beacon agreement, bringing the total PAPI/beacon project cost to roughly $535,000 under an 80/20 split with FDOT (city match about $57,077). He said the city moved the project forward because the existing halogen system is outdated and maintenance efforts had not restored the lights.

On a separate airport item, staff proposed a public-transportation grant agreement to replace an insecure gate (Gate 19) with a high-security sliding system; the gate was estimated at roughly $40,800 with FDOT covering about 80 percent and the city match near $8,000. Heidel described on-site security risks with the current gate and said funding was available in building maintenance.

City staff said these items will be on the commission agenda for formal action. No vote was recorded during the May 11 agenda review.