Airport Experience® News - Post-Conference Issue 2024

LATEST BUZZ

Left: SSP America will operate a range of concepts at the renovated SRQ, including local brands Patricks 1481, a tavern concept, and Anna Maria Oyster Bar. Below: Paradies Lagardère will operate Mattison’s City Grille, an upscale restaurant featuring American, Mediterranean, Asian, Caribbean and Italian cuisine; news and gift concept Seaside Mercantile and other concessions locations.

arding Facility

Visitors will also be able to enjoy a family-friendly playground, listen to radio communications between pilots and air traffic control as well as take a closer look at one of the airport’s retired beacon lights previously used to identify SRQ to inbound pilots. “We hope the area becomes a favorite place for citizens and families to enjoy plane spotting and recreation,” says Sweet of the new facility. Piccolo agrees. “The new observation area,” he adds, “will be a community asset that aesthetically enhances the entrance to Manatee County, showcases the SRQ airport, and provides inspiration to those dreaming of travel or pursuing a career in aviation.” The airport is also overhauling its entire power plant system, says Piccolo. “The cooling towers were 30 years old so all that is being redone. We are adding one additional energy efficient chiller [and] adding new natural gas lines that allow for cooking, as before [they were] electric,” says Piccolo. “It’s all modernized and should be much more efficient and last longer.” To foot the $200 million-dollar undertaking, the airport used a “variety of sources” for funding, says Piccolo. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill provided approximately $34 million towards the terminal expansion, as well as $18 million in entitlement from the Federal Aviation Administration’s AIP grants (with $6 million a year allocated to SRQ based on passenger numbers), $29 million in funds from the Florida Department of Transportation’s Work Program, $21.5 million from the state legislature, $23 million from TSA, and additional financing from the airport authority’s internal funds. “We’re pleased that we’re doing $200 million worth of work that we don’t have to incur any debt for,” says Piccolo. “We are a debt-free airport right now.”

SRQ is not only staying debt-free — their current facility improvements will add massive revenue to the region’s coffers, says Piccolo. “There’s about $3.2 billion a year and 23,000 jobs in the community derived from airport activities. We’re an important economic generator here, and I like to say, we do it at no cost to the community because we don’t have any taxing power, [costs are] a little over $5 per passenger. So we’re very cost effective for the airlines as well.” And if recent studies on economic impact, like the Florida Department of Transportation’s 2021 survey of its airports are any indication — showing $336 billion in total economic impacts to the state’s economy, supporting over two million jobs, $109 billion in payroll, and $170 billion in value added — Sarasota and the Sunshine State at large will only continue to see more travelers. SRQ will be ready for the next surge, says Piccolo, adding that “each construction project currently underway at the airport is extremely important to support our continued growth and provide the level of customer service and amenities our passengers expect. We pride ourselves in providing a convenient, stress-free travel experience to the local community.”

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AX NEWS APRIL/MAY 2024