Storm-damaged St. Pete airport needs extensive work

An evaluation committee has selected four consulting and design firms to help complete several projects – including a potential runway extension – at St. Petersburg’s Albert Whitted Airport.

The committee, comprised of five city officials, initially planned to select three firms Monday afternoon to oversee roughly nine initiatives at the waterfront municipal airport. However, administrators launched the request for proposals and evaluation process before Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Committee members included the fourth-ranked company from a pool of six applicants, primarily due to Albert Whitted’s storm impacts. Rich Lesniak, airport manager, said the hurricanes damaged lighting systems, eroded a runway safety area and collapsed hangars.

“Airfield lighting, pavement rehab and hangar construction – I think those are big three,” Lesniak said of needed experience. “The special thing would be the potential (runway) extension. That’s the big daddy of them all.”

The city’s scope of work listed 32 aspects, and many included multiple subsections. Environmental evaluations and storm-hardening projects featured prominently among the desired services.

While not explicitly listed in the city’s scope of work, the committee frequently considered the applicants’ ability to oversee a project that would extend a runway into the bay. Judy Lenczyk, a non-voting technical advisor, credited American Infrastructure Development (AID) for discussing potential water quality and tidal flow impacts.

Evan Birk, transportation design manager, said Tampa-based AID uniquely focused on how “they would handle all the different aspects of that complicated, large project.” He noted the company has experience working with the city and previously rebuilt hangars at the airport “relatively successfully.”

A firm’s ability to secure grants was an oft-discussed topic. Michael Gebler, senior capital projects coordinator, said, “We probably need to start looking at other funding sources, like many of our city projects,” due to storm-associated costs.

Birk said available resources would dictate construction schedules. Gebler noted that AID won grants for similar projects in Punta Gorda.

Civil engineer Gregory Ashey said he found two aspects of AID’s proposal “very interesting.” Company officials mentioned “accommodating unforeseen site conditions, specifically involving geotechnical work.”

Ashey said geotechnical issues often arise during the design phase, and AID has shown they can work around hurdles to “keep the project moving along.” The committee ranked the firm first with a score of 78.

“They have also worked on environmental projects at Tampa airport, so they’re fairly familiar with local environmental groups,” Ashey added. “So, they would bring a lot of value to projects at our airport … several environmental concerns out there.”

An overhead view of the municipal airport. Screengrab, city documents.

City council members and administrators have recently expressed their desire to accommodate advanced air mobility services – a nascent aerospace sector that utilizes electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOLs) to move people and cargo – at Albert Whitted Airport.

Ashey noted that Airport Design Consultants recently completed electric aircraft-related projects that are “very relevant to some recent events and impacts on the airfield.” Lenczyk noted Michael Baker International’s primary sub-consultant, Environmental Design Associates (ESA), has extensive advanced air mobility experience and created the airport’s Master Plan that identified many of the planned projects.

Mohsen Design Group placed second to AID with a score of 75.9. Michael Baker International ranked third (68.1) and Airport Design Consultants (62.6) rounded out the top four firms.

“I could see four firms being a good idea because of recent events,” Ashey said. “Just to create that flexibility.”

Over the next four years, the four selected firms will also:

• Conduct technical investigations.
• Complete permitting and ensure regulatory compliance.
• Implement the airport’s Master Plan.
• Design new and redeveloped aviation infrastructure and support facilities, seawalls and stormwater collection facilities, and environmental mitigation initiatives.
• Prepare biddable and constructible documents and review bids.
• Review agreements between the city, customers and suppliers.
• Conduct project quality control and management.
• Complete surveys and noise studies.
• Evaluate intermodal transportation systems.
• Conduct management, operational and marketing studies.
• Provide services related to energy reduction and conservation.
• Discern processes to reduce the airport’s carbon footprint.
• Provide services related to fuel, chemicals and regulated substances.
• Evaluate and design security systems.
• Study, evaluate and design storm-hardening modifications to existing structures.