Airport Board Narrows Contractor Field

Wednesday, March 21, 2007 - 07:13 PM

Bree Sison - Reporter

Airline passengers are one step closer to lift off today. Plans to build a new airport are well underway with work on fences, trees and ditches scheduled to begin in June.

The Airport Board is working to hire an engineering firm to over see the construction of the actual terminal.

The Airport Board plans to move the old airport in Panama City to a site in West Bay by the end of 2009.

The Airport Board heard from six companies Wednesday morning all making promises to be the best fit for building a new airport.

The board spent hours listening to presentations and grilling the candidates.

"We're not going to get anymore money... just keep that in mind," Chair Joe Tannehill told one company.

The votes were counted and the field was narrowed to three. Four board members voted for ZHA, an Orlando based company, and three board members wanted to keep K-B-R out of Houston and DMJM from Tampa.

In next Tuesday's meeting the board will rank the three companies and begin negotiations with the top firm.

All of the potential Project Managers plan to relocate to Panama City to over see the airport's construction... and Andy Murray from ZHA says he's ready to move in an instant.

Also at next Tuesday's meeting, the board hopes to have an update on the sale of the existing airport's land.

That meeting begins at 10am Tuesday March 27th in the Airport Administration meeting room.