The Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners approved a $3.5 million contract Tuesday to expand parking at the Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport, aiming to accommodate growing passenger numbers and ease congestion during peak travel periods.
- The board awarded the construction contract to Gum Creek Farms, Inc. for $3,545,582.25 to build a new east side parking lot.
The project will add 622 parking spots for airport employees and commuters, freeing up 540 spaces in the current employee parking area for public use.
“All in all, it plays well into the overall flow specifically for the passenger,” said Tracy Stage, Airports Director, during the board meeting. “But for the employees, we’re providing shuttle transportation, golf cart transportation. There’ll be covered walkways and lighted walkways back to the terminal.”
The expansion comes in response to the airport’s continued growth and increased demand for parking, especially during holiday periods. The project aims to be substantially completed within 150 days, with officials hoping to relocate employees to the new lot before Thanksgiving 2024.
In addition to the new parking spaces, the project includes:
- Approximately one acre of paved staging area for transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft.
- Lot lighting and security cameras.
- A shuttle stop shelter for up to 20 employees.
- A lighted walkway path to the main terminal.
- A multi-use restroom for transportation network companies and rental car employee use.
- Additional paved vehicle storage for rental car agencies.
- Required stormwater pond modifications.
The project will be funded through a 50-50 split between the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and local match funds, which have been previously budgeted using airport funds.
Stage noted that the winning bid from Gum Creek Farms was about 4.5% lower than the next closest bid and within one percentage point of the engineer’s estimate.
