Tampa International Airport rethinks expansion as passenger numbers shrink
April 06--TAMPA -- When Tampa International Airport officials in 2005 came up with the idea to build a massive new terminal, Florida's economy was booming, the state was growing by 1,000 people a day and planes were full.
Seven lean economic years later, airport officials want to rethink that plan. The airport instead wants to consider expanding and further renovating the current terminal, beyond $57 million in ongoing work.
"It may not be where we want to go with our next billion dollars," airport Chief Executive Officer Joe Lopano said of the original plans for a North Terminal.
The change from a huge new terminal to modifying what's already there has come to light as the airport board prepares to update its master plan. A public workshop on the plan is scheduled for 6 p.m. Wednesday at the main terminal third-level conference room.
Lopano said the current terminal could be modified to accommodate 15 to 20 new gates. Other improvements envisioned includea monorail linking the main terminal with airport land near the economy parking garages, where a public transit center could be built.
Car rentals would be relocated to lessen congestion at the main terminal, and a gas station and convenience store could be added to the south side site.
Development on east-side airport property could include aviation-related businesses spun off from current heavy aircraft maintenance activities there, possibly doubling that employment to 1,200 or more.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist, who serves on the county's aviation authority board, on Thursday proposed a more radical approach to Tampa International expansion planning by including options involving St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport.
Rather than reserve use of Tampa airport land north of the main terminal for a new facility, Crist suggested using that area for facilities with regional draws, such as a University of South Florida diabetes research center. Airport gates could be added at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport rather than use space reserved for Tampa's North Terminal, he suggested.
"This airport is the most valuable possibility to generate new business in this area," Crist said about Tampa's land.
Crist acknowledged his concept would be controversial and require better linkage between the two airports to transport passengers and cargo.
Regional authorities operate airports in places like New York, but benefits of linking the Tampa and Pinellas airports have yet to be studied.
Aviation authority board Chairman Steve Burton suggested Crist, who intended to meet with Lopano over lunch, refine his concepts and present them at a future board meeting.
"This is a big deal," Burton said about the master plan update. "This is probably the most important analysis we are working on."
The Federal Aviation Administration requires a master plan update every five to six years, including fresh passenger demand forecasts. Federal regulations require business development on airport property meet FAA usage guidelines.
In 2005, officials envisioned Tampa International would handle 25 million passengers -- the capacity for the main terminal facilities, including baggage operations -- by 2015.
The recession and air travel decline derailed those predictions. Current estimates predict an increase from the current 17 million annual passengers to 25.7 million by 2026. With enhancements, the current terminal might handle more.
Orlando International Airport also is updating its master plan and officials have proposed building a new terminal south of the current complex. Orlando handled 35.3 million passengers in 2011, a figure expected to increase to 50 million annual passengers between 2021 and 2027.
Copyright 2012 - Tampa Tribune, Fla.
