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Monroe County moves to restore commercial service at Marathon Airport, approves schematic design work
Summary
County staff and aviation consultants outlined an $11 million plan to bring scheduled commercial flights to Florida Keys Marathon International Airport and said they will apply for a $1 million federal SCASD grant; commissioners approved a $188,002 schematic-design task order to ready the terminal.
Marathon could see scheduled commercial passenger service again after county staff and aviation consultants presented a plan and funding strategy and the Board of County Commissioners approved schematic-design work for the terminal.
Richard Strickland, the county's director of airports, and consultant Mike Lumb framed the near-term effort around a federal Small Community Air Service Development (SCASD) grant and local partners to underwrite a minimum revenue guarantee. Strickland said the project budget identified so far totals about $11,000,000, with roughly $9,650,000 already identified and a $1,000,000 SCASD grant proposed. Lumb described the SCASD program and told commissioners that "one of the most common incentives a community ... can provide to establish new airline service is, to provide what's called a minimum revenue guarantee," a mechanism that can run into hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars.
Local stakeholders told the board they would help. Daniel Sammis of the Marathon Chamber said the hospitality industry and local resorts were "very excited" and willing to contribute to a revenue guarantee and marketing; Brian Bradley, speaking for the City of Marathon, said the effort aligns with the city's economic-resiliency plan. Pilot and community member Tom Crane urged careful attention to past procurement choices that reduced airport revenue.
After discussion about timing and potential community matching funds, commissioners voted to proceed with schematic-design work and approved Jacob Project Management's task order No. 2020And1 for $188,002 from the MTH operating fund (fund 403) to produce schematic design for terminal renovations and expansion. The board also directed staff to continue moving ahead with grant preparation and outreach to potential partners and noted that the SCASD NOFO will trigger a 30-day application window once it is issued.
