Some Projects Are Just Fun To Watch Develop ...

... such is the tale of Cecil Field, which is part of the Jacksonville, FL four-airport system today. As Michael Stewart, director of external affairs for the Jacksonville Airport Authority points out, the community here fought vigorously to not have the Naval Air Base decommissioned and transferred to the city – loss of jobs, economic impact, etc. Yet, some ten years later, the future looks bright. Reminds me a lot of Williams Air Force Base in Mesa, AZ, which the Phoenix region didn’t want to see go away. Yet it did, and today the airport is a vibrant mix of general aviation, educational institutions, and even commercial airline activity. Credit Lynn Kusy and his crew for a vision and execution there. At Cecil Field, Bob Simpson, A.A.E., a retired U.S. Navy guy, is the orchestra conductor. Interestingly, the two airfields look quite a bit alike – not too much environmental damage; some strong facilities on one side of the airfield; and bunch of acreage to develop on the opposite side. In the case of Cecil, the city got some 6,000 acres as the airfield footprint … some 2,000 acres are still available for development. Since Jacksonville took over the airport, it has not only filled up existing facilities but, as Simpson puts it, the good news and bad news is they’re all filled up, even with additional hangar development since the takeover. Check out the dozen or so airliners in for some type of overhaul at FlightStar; Boeing has a presence; the private fixed base operation, Jacksonville JetPort is doing well – they pumped some 700,000 gallons last month. As with Williams AFB, it seemed remote, but the city grew its way. That’s what is happening in Jacksonville. There is already major corporate development nearby. And, the city recently entered into an agreement with the Hillwood group (Ross Perot, etc.), which created the Alliance Airport north of Ft. Worth, to develop adjacent properties. They call it Alliance Florida. Steve Grossman, who heads up JAA and came from Oakland, likes to say that in Oakland the Chamber of Commerce was the low man on the totem pole; in Jacksonville, it is a primary driver. This city, which promotes itself as the logistics center of the region, is all about business. Oh, and the FAA recently certificated Cecil Field to become a spaceport – horizontal lift, they stress (noise issues, you know). Richard Branson has expressed an interest, once he expands from New Mexico with Virgin Galactic. A cool airport, and story. This is one you want to come back to in ten years and see what has developed. Thing is, they have a vision here, and a business orientation to back it up. Thanks for reading. jfi [Look for the expanded story on Cecil Field in the upcoming January issue of airport business magazine.]