FSU-PC Hosts Successful Airport Forum

On September 18, 2007, FSU-PC hosted a very educational forum for its engineering students and the community.

Airport Executive Director Randy Curtis and representatives of the two engineering firms involved in the planning and construction of the relocated airport recently spoke to a nearly full auditorium of FSU-PC engineering students, faculty, and interested community members in what hopefully will be the first of many University sponsored symposia, as this $300 million plus major public works project progresses.

Darin Larson, a division manager for PBS&J, and Jeff Dealy, KBR’s construction manager for the project, addressed engineering and construction issues involved in planning and building the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport scheduled to begin construction later this year. Randy Curtis provided an update on the status of the project.

It appears that the last wicket to be negotiated before construction can begin is finalizing the sale of the existing airport. Curtis was non-committal on the status of those negotiations, but a final deal must be struck soon.

Let’s hope the engineering symposium is just the beginning of the role the University can play in educating the public about the airport relocation project.

In addition to the wealth of engineering and construction interests, there are critically important public policy issues related to intergovernmental and environmental planning and economic development to be explored by University faculty and students.

The University can make a meaningful contribution to the community’s understanding of these issues and their resolution so as to maximize the benefits that are to be derived from airport relocation.

Importantly, the airport relocation project and the West Bay Sector Plan would be excellent case studies for use in teaching large scale land use planning and similar pubic works projects.