Recently, the Brooksville Tampa Bay Regional Airport was “Airport of the Year” by the Florida Department of Transportation.
“We are very proud of this recognition from FDOT,” County Administrator Leonard Sossamon said. “With FDOT and FAA assistance, we have worked hard to make airfield safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades for development.”
The 2,400-acre BKV is classified as a regional general aviation airport and is home to 148 based aircraft. The airport is owned and operated by the Hernando County Board of County Commissioners and has an air traffic control tower with two runways capable of accommodating small and large corporate aircraft.
During the Aug. 4, 2017 meeting, commissioners applauded the airport for achieving this designation.
Commissioner Champion recognized the award as a positive step for the airport, but emphasized that the award does not change the fact that the airport is losing money. He stated, “Minus $600,000 on a balance sheet is nothing to be proud of.”
County Administrator Leonard Sossamon explained that many of the businesses at the Airport Industrial park are not airport related, but many are growing and expanding.
Champion clarified that it has nothing to do with private businesses. “We’re not managing something right,” he said.
Sossamon stated, “We live off of grants from FDOT.” These grants are used to expand infrastructure and improve. These grants are typically millions of dollars and Sossamon explained that the airport usually has to match those grants 80/20 or 90/10.
He also explained that while they do have a lot of infrastructure in place, there is a void on the west side of the airport, which will need roads, sewer, lighting and storm drainage to get businesses to move in there.
“For the last few months I’ve been talking to the US Department of Commerce. If they do an infrastructure type economic development type grant, unfortunately it’s not 80/20 or even 90/10. It’s 50/50.” He said if they got the grant for the west side of the airport they’d have to come up with $2 million to match the $2 million grant. “They don’t have enough revenues to make a match,” he said.
“It (the airport) needs to have the aviation business, the aeronautics business, avionics,” said Sossamon.
He added, “I think the best is to come. I think with the economy the way it is now, it’s just a matter of those industries deciding to expand.”
Sossamon also mentioned that 3 or 4 of the existing businesses at the airport are speaking to them about expanding. The headquarters of these businesses are mostly out of state, so they do have the option of expanding anywhere.
Commissioner Dukes stated that it is important to get the west side of the airport up and running, because there won’t be any businesses who’ll agree to move in there until they do. He mentioned possibly loans or bonds in order to make those improvements.
Commissioner Nicholson agreed.