FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 30, 2022
UPDATED July 8, 2022
DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. – The City of DeFuniak Springs received a historic notice to proceed from the Florida Department of Transportation to begin work on the $6.9 million airport terminal at the DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport located at 1931 U.S. Highway 90 West, DeFuniak Springs, Florida.
“This monumental project would not be possible without the support and teamwork of many who advocated on behalf of the city to make this vision a reality,” said City Manager Robert Thompson.
The City of DeFuniak Springs Mayor, City Council, City Manager, and Airport Director thank the following individuals:
- Senator George B. Gainer
- Representative Brad Drake
- FDOT District Three Secretary Phillip Gainer
- FDOT District Three Director of Transportation Development Tim Smith
- Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
- Jennifer Green & Tim Parson of Liberty Partners of Tallahassee, LLC
- Cliff Knauer of Dewberry
- AVCON, Inc.
- Dominguez Design-Build, Inc.
- Community Stakeholders
None of this would be possible without our friends at the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Our partnership with the FAA is priceless and foundational to our success. We are grateful for their $667,000 donation to the project, and their consistent expertise and guidance in the planning and development.
On the state level, we send many thanks to Senator George B. Gainer and Representative Brad Drake for their tireless advocacy for the City of DeFuniak Springs and the vision to appropriate funds to the DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport terminal project. We're also incredibly grateful for the unwavering support and guidance from Florida Department of Transportation-District Three Secretary Phillip Gainer and District Three Director of Transportation Development Tim Smith.
The cooperation and teamwork of our local stakeholders is exceptional. Our team of engineers is outstanding, and we appreciate our engineer-of-record AVCON, Inc. as they transition with Dewberry to collaborate with our new partners at Dominguez Design-Build, Inc. City officials would also like to thank Liberty Partners of Tallahassee, LLC – the City’s governmental consulting firm – in coordinating several current and future funding projects at the Airport.
“The FDOT Notice to Proceed is extremely exciting. We haven’t had any new projects in 20-30 years so this is our first substantial project and a revenue generator for the city,” said Mayor Bob Campbell. “The county has made quite a donation and commitment to the airport. I’d love to see our community benefit from the potential business development here as corporate executives who leave their jets here will soon realize this is an attractive location for business and bring jobs here for our people.”
Councilman Todd Bierbaum confirmed the economic impact. “The Notice to Proceed represents the next step in the terminal expansion project and the City Council’s effort to leverage state and federal resources. This expansion of our airport allows for local jobs, economic impact and aligns with the council’s goal to balance the budget, freeing general fund dollars for other civic purposes,” he said.
Councilman Bierbaum was the first to coin the mission statement for the airport which was approved by the City Council. The mission statement reads: “The DeFuniak Springs Municipal Airport is a community airport that serves general and corporate aviation. Our mission is to be the premier general aviation airport on the Emerald Coast and the gateway airport to the beaches of South Walton.”