Palm Coast, FL - An $8.75 million project that's funded entirely by grant money gets underway this week at the Flagler Executive Airport. The project is the refurbishment of Runway 6-24. There's another grant-funded project to refurbish the Air Traffic Control Tower in the near future. Studies show that not only does the airport benefit from these projects, so does all of Flagler County.
The airport has 28 business tenants and agencies with the largest being the Florida Army National Guard. They recently held the grand opening of its 82,043 square foot, $21.7 million Flagler Palm Coast Readiness Center that will allow 260 soldiers to drill together.
“As part of the construction, the Florida Army National Guard assisted financially with the South Entrance Road to the Flagler Executive Airport along, with associated stormwater retention improvements, which enhances the ability to attract other commercial development to the airport,” Commission Chair David Sullivan said. “The increased employees in the area will generate positive residual effects for retailers and restaurateurs serving the needs of the employees and guardsmen while at the Readiness Center.”
Airport Director Roy Sieger said that the recent grants for the upcoming rehab and upgrades bring the grant total since 2009, when he got there, to more than $50 million. “The Airport has been the recipient of several aviation safety awards from both the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation for improvements made to the Airport, which were primarily completed due to the increases the airport has seen in its number, size, and types of aircraft operations.”
