New Airport Update

The design and construction plans for the new Panama City-Bay County International Airport are on track.

The Airport Board members approved PBS&J as the design team for the new facility. The firm has been an integral part of the new airport project since the beginning and will be responsible for the final design of the airport.

Tom Slocum of the Airport said the board will begin the process of selecting a firm for the project management and construction.

"This is a big deal in that it assigns responsibility for design, construction management. Bechtel has stepped back from that. They've worked very well PBS&J and the airport. The transition will be very smooth. It's not expected to add cost/time to the project."

Board members are still hoping to break ground on the new airport facility sometime this spring. They still need some federal permits and a local development order before construction can begin.

The board is also expecting to select a bidder to buy the existing airport and the surrounding land by the end of February