Seaplane airport sparks renaissance for 'America's Seaplane City'

Two years ago, this Lake County city took an $8 million plunge to become "America's Seaplane City," hoping that a new airport catering to seaplanes would resuscitate its dying downtown.

Skeptics thought it was crazy to spend that kind of money in the depths of a recession. But the gamble has landed the city of 14,000 economic prosperity, with new businesses opening, construction under way and a boom in tourism.

"Every little facet of this project has drawn different people to our downtown," Mayor Bob Wolfe said. "It has been surprising to see how it's paid off. ... Those naysayers now tell me they're glad we took the risk."

On Saturday, Tavares marked the second anniversary of the base opening with a Seaplane Fly-In that brought visitors to the Lake Dora waterfront to watch pilots take part in skill contests including dropping grapefruit from the air at a buoy target.

"This is cool, this is cool," said Lou Blows, 81, of The Villages, a retired electronics engineer. He was part of a crowd of roughly 500, including U.S Rep. Daniel Webster, R-Winter Garden, who turned out to watch seaplanes land and take off.

The event attracted about 30 seaplanes, said city officials, who were thrilled with the turnout.

Officials have had much to celebrate since the base opened in April 2010. More than 3,400 seaplanes have visited, more than what had been predicted. Located at Wooton Park, the base has become a regular haunt for Florida pilots and a rest stop for planes trekking from as far as Mexico, Italy and France, officials said.

"Having 3,400 seaplanes is unheard of," said Steve McCaughey, executive director of the Seaplane Pilots Association, based in Lakeland. "People were just hungry for a new destination.

"Seaplane pilots are always looking for weekend adventures and destinations that will cater to them, so those areas and businesses that do cater to them will see a tremendous amount of economic benefit," he said. "Tavares has become a destination."

The city has welcomed 26 new businesses, including eight successful restaurants, Tavares economic development director Bill Neron said.

Two boutique hotels are under construction, and the city now holds a busy schedule of boat races, fishing tournaments and aviation-themed events -- all aimed at building a reputation as a haven for waterfront events, he said.

"This all happened in the toughest of economic times," Neron said. "We are the contrarians. When times were booming before 2007, Tavares had empty storefronts."

Back then, city leaders hosted visioning sessions, hoping to find ways to revive the nearly vacant downtown. A new city administrator, John Drury, had recently come aboard, bringing his experience as a pilot, innkeeper and airport administrator.

Drury remembered watching a pair of seaplanes land and the pilots trudge through the muck for a hamburger at O'Keefe's Irish Pub & Restaurant.

"It became apparent to me that the waterfront was an underutilized asset," Drury said. "With my background in business and aviation, it was clear to me we could make this a seaplane mecca."

With an $8.3 million investment, funded largely by a utility bond, the city set up the new airport, with a 3,000-foot virtual runway on the lake, a ramp and tarmac, marina docks and an aviation-fueling station. Tavares also revamped Wooton Park, opening a splash park for children, upgrading the grounds and electrical facilities for festivals, and opening a shop with souvenirs and drinks.

The city won an important designation from the Federal Aviation Administration to mark the base on navigational charts. The U.S. has 498 seaplane bases and Tavares' is among the newest, according to the FAA. The base is home to Jones Brothers & Co., a seaplane business offering tours and flight training. The seaplane connection also helped the city lure a manufacturing business, Progressive Aerodyne Inc., which makes the Searey amphibian aircraft.

"This is civic entrepreneurialship, where entrepreneurial spirit intersects with government operation," Drury said. "If you can take calculated risk on a niche and 'wow' project, you're either going to be successful or a failure, nothing in between."

By all measures, including aviation-fuel sales, splash-park attendance and aircraft landings, the seaplane base has exceeded expectations, Neron said. City leaders expect the operation will break even or be profitable in a few years. Residents support even more downtown improvements, with approval last month of a $3.3 million bond issue to buy land that will expand Wooton Park.

The only lingering complaint has been flight noise.

"I can hear the airplanes circle, landing and taking off," said Bob Moder, who lives about a mile from the lake. "They're pretty low when they land and when they buzz around."

Drury said there have been only a handful of complaints. The advantage of a seaplane base is that it operates only in daylight, so flights don't disturb the sleep of nearby residents, he said.

More importantly, the seaplanes have countless fans, including the scores of visitors who dine in Tavares to watch landings and takeoffs, said Rodger Kooser, whose company has opened three restaurants and is building two hotels in the downtown corridor.

"People are coming from all over to have lunch and watch seaplanes," Kooser said. "It's entertainment for them."

[email protected] or 352-742-5927

Copyright 2012 - The Orlando Sentinel, Fla.