Construction continues at ECP

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - Growth has been a theme at Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport for years, and now construction is underway to meet the demands.

ECP held its monthly board meeting on Wednesday, covering topics like the entrance roundabout, the new north terminal, and parking. The new overflow lot remains under construction, and officials say progress is quick. But for some, completion can’t come soon enough. The cell phone lot is currently blocked off to allow access for construction, creating a headache for those picking passengers up from the airport.

”The airport has ongoing construction in many of the parking lot facilities - that includes expanding those facilities. But there are a little bit of growing pains and so we’ve had to relocate those parking areas,” said ECP Airport Chair, Holly Melzer.

For now, a temporary overflow lot has been set up in the grass fields south of the main terminal. Officials say they will begin backfilling the new overflow lot on the 6th. The project is expected to be completed by the summer.

For now, those with any questions about parking prior to arrival are asked to head over to ECP’s website.

Outside of parking updates, most of the meeting focused on the new North Terminal and associated task orders.

The North Terminal is a major expansion project that will include restrooms, concessions, and a new restaurant. The design phase of that terminal was up for approval Wednesday, alongside the associated baggage claim design.

”So the airport authority does not take its role lightly in being a good steward of our funds,” Melzer said. “But at the same time, we have to balance expending a lot of money on expansion projects with timelines and making sure that we meet the demand that we currently have and will see in the coming future.”

While planning continues for that phase of expansion, other projects continue to push forward. The new roundabout at the front entrance is nearly completed, and construction is taking off over at the new Southern Sky Aviation FBO.

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