Lizzy Alspach
Tampa Bay Times
(TNS)

St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport could soon get a facelift.

At a Pinellas County Commission work session Thursday, airport Director Mark Sprague listed at least 14 changes he wants to make. They include the addition of an elevated terminal, gate renovations, a new security checkpoint, new ticket counters and more parking.

It’s in hopes of serving more passengers and attracting more airlines, Sprague said.

“We got to fix our aging infrastructure in order for us to do that,” Sprague said.

If Pinellas commissioners approve more contract money for the airport in September, Sprague said, he could have a first design ready by next June. The airport would seek to finish construction by 2032.

The airport was set to expand two years ago, with a second floor and extra gates. Sprague told commissioners on Thursday that expansion costs exceeded the money available.

That expansion was projected to run about $210 million, airport spokesperson Michele Routh told the Tampa Bay Times. The airport had about $110 million for it. They had to pause any designs and rethink their plan.

Now, renovations will focus on updating the existing building. Those could cost about $145 million, Sprague said. Most would be covered by airport and county money set aside for the expansion, he said.

The County Commission would need to approve updates to construction agreements. Those updates would increase the county’s share of the cost by more than $8 million, Routh told the Times.

The airport is also tapping money from its reserves, grants from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Florida Department of Transportation, as well as passenger facility fees, she added.

The County Commission is set to discuss updates to the contracts Sept. 10.

Commissioner Kathleen Peters said she is concerned that there aren’t more airlines interested in doing business with St. Pete-Clearwater International. Allegiant Air is the main airline that flies out of St. Pete-Clearwater.

“I’m frustrated that eight years later, all our eggs are in one basket still,” Peters said. “If the price range is different, I don’t see why we aren’t more successful in recruiting a Frontier or Southwest.”

The airport has struggled to support an influx of passengers. If there are flights at each of its 12 gates, Sprague said, passengers have had to sit on the floor.

There’s also one door to the tarmac for passengers to board three different airplanes, Sprague said. It should take about 40 minutes for an airplane to deplane and board passengers, he said, but it can take up to two hours at PIE.

“We’re fixing it through this,” Sprague said in his presentation.

The airport’s parking garage will also be updated, Routh said. The airport plans for construction to begin early next year. The airport warned travelers in June that parking is limited and encouraged them to get dropped off instead.

The new garage would add 2,000 parking spots.

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