PANAMA CITY BEACH — The efforts to jump start business around the new airport are underway in earnest. Kevin Johnson the new economic development czar (this use of the word czar id good not like some of the other czars in the news) for The St. Joe Co. told the Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce on Friday that Northwest Florida had the potential to duplicate or even surpass the high-tech growth of North Carolina’s research triangle.
With the new Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport set to open in May, the region’s “branding” is poised to go from bathing suits to business suits, said Kevin Johnson, new vice president of economic development for St. Joe.
“You can not only have a great tan, but make a million bucks,” said Johnson, who previously served as business development vice president for the Research Triangle Foundation of North Carolina.
As owners of condos in Panama City Beach Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation and a part time resident we are excited about the prospects of new business development in the area.
All that was needed to make it happen was “regional leadership,” he said. “The enemy of high-impact economic development progress is political jurisdictions,” said Johnson, who will encourage companies such as aerospace, aviation and defense to expand or relocate near the new $318 million airport under construction near West Bay.
When the research triangle was first formed by state and local governments in the late 1950s, North Carolina was the second-poorest state in the country, Johnson said. Today, North Carolina ranks 25th in the country and the area around the research triangle has the second-highest per-capita income in the state. “I think we can do that here,” Johnson said.
Both Johnson and airport executive director Randy Curtis were speaking to the chamber Friday about the economic influence of the new airport, the center of a 71,000-acre state-sanctioned West Bay Area Sector Plan of long-term industrial and residential development.
Johnson said the 7,000-acre research triangle in North Carolina is one of the most prominent research-and-development centers in the United States. It is sometimes compared to Silicon Valley, Calif., another high-tech corridor now dominated by computer companies.
Johnson said the West Bay Sector, with 10 times as many acres, roughly the size of Washington, D.C., had the capacity to outstrip the North Carolina effort by creating a “new urban land form.”
The resulting development could revolutionize the economic landscape of Northwest Florida “to put a stamp on it for a new generation,” Johnson told the large chamber crowd. “We still don’t have the numbers,” he said, noting that he has asked for labor data for 100 miles in every direction from the new airport. His research will be shared with prospective industries.
Corps letter
Curtis told the crowd the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sent a letter Thursday to the Federal Aviation Administration, giving its approval for the 1,600-foot extension on the new airport’s runway, which will lengthen the runway to 10,000 feet.
“We are ready to go” on the extension’s construction as soon as the FAA signs off on the Corps’ recommendation, Curtis said after the meeting.
Not only are airport officials hopeful the new facility will make its projected May 18 grand opening, “it’s more than a goal; it will happen,” Curtis told the chamber crowd.
Curtis briefed the crowd on the construction progress of the new airport’s 120,000 square feet of terminal space, 2.5 miles of main access road and the facility’s 16,000-square-foot baggage handling area, which he called “truly state-of-the-art technology.”
This will be a fun development to watch over the years.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Panama City Beach – New Airport receives another new name
PANAMA CITY BEACH -- The Airport Authority voted Tuesday to change the name of the new airport under construction near West Bay to the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport.
Regardless of what they end up naming the airport you are only 12 miles from the Panama City Beach Condos at Celadon Beach Resort Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation
Southwest Airlines plans to fly to the airport starting in May 2010. Southwest will publish their flight schedule and start selling tickets in December 2009.
The change, in a close 3-2 vote, came just a month after the board named the new airport the Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport, a label that drew critical comments from some quarters because of the Panama City tag, officials said.
“We did receive quite a few comments from the public and other government agencies,” airport Executive Director Randy Curtis said.
Curtis said that over the course of two years in discussions with possible airlines for the new facility, carriers had made clear they hoped a name would be chosen with a more regional perspective to help marketing efforts.
Board Vice Chairman Bill Cramer protested that he thought the new name, with its Beaches moniker, made the Panhandle seem too “one dimensional.” He said the previous name, with its use of both “Northwest Florida” and “Panama City,” accomplished the twin objectives of branding the region and letting visitors know the city they were flying into. Most large airports in Florida use the home city in their official names, Cramer said, and Panama City had a lot of "brand equity.”
Both Cramer and board member Gerry Clemons, a former Panama City mayor, voted against changing the name.
Clemons said Panama City had spent millions of dollars over past years in efforts to keep the current airport afloat and deserved the recognition.
In the end, though, he was philosophical about changing the name. “We made a lot of people mad, and that was kind of fun,” he said.
Regardless of what they end up naming the airport you are only 12 miles from the Panama City Beach Condos at Celadon Beach Resort Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation
Southwest Airlines plans to fly to the airport starting in May 2010. Southwest will publish their flight schedule and start selling tickets in December 2009.
The change, in a close 3-2 vote, came just a month after the board named the new airport the Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport, a label that drew critical comments from some quarters because of the Panama City tag, officials said.
“We did receive quite a few comments from the public and other government agencies,” airport Executive Director Randy Curtis said.
Curtis said that over the course of two years in discussions with possible airlines for the new facility, carriers had made clear they hoped a name would be chosen with a more regional perspective to help marketing efforts.
Board Vice Chairman Bill Cramer protested that he thought the new name, with its Beaches moniker, made the Panhandle seem too “one dimensional.” He said the previous name, with its use of both “Northwest Florida” and “Panama City,” accomplished the twin objectives of branding the region and letting visitors know the city they were flying into. Most large airports in Florida use the home city in their official names, Cramer said, and Panama City had a lot of "brand equity.”
Both Cramer and board member Gerry Clemons, a former Panama City mayor, voted against changing the name.
Clemons said Panama City had spent millions of dollars over past years in efforts to keep the current airport afloat and deserved the recognition.
In the end, though, he was philosophical about changing the name. “We made a lot of people mad, and that was kind of fun,” he said.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Panama City Beach - PCB music fest idea still afloat, petition launched
PANAMA CITY BEACH — A monster music festival rejected by the city council late last month isn’t dead yet — at least not in the promoter’s eyes.
“We’re exercising our options,” California-based concert organizer Ted Absher said recently of his plans for the first annual “Beach Scene Music Festival” in Panama City Beach.
And despite the cold reception here, “we’re not going to leave Panama City,” he said.
The site is minutes away from our Panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation
On Oct. 22, the council stifled Absher’s pitch for the two-weekend, nearly 60-act music event at Frank Brown Park, striking down the idea with a unanimous vote.
The proposal included world-famous names on a list of “potential” performers: Paul McCartney, Green Day, Beyonce and others. None of them, however, appear to be committed.
Its tentative sponsors, according to Absher and his Endless Summer production company, include Web giant YouTube.com, which Absher said might broadcast some of the shows live online.
One councilman summed it up as a “train wreck. But the idea struck others as a gold mine.
An online petition at petitionspot.com — titled “Bring business to PCB by saying OK to music fest” — appeared a week later, insisting the council should reconsider. It had 96 supporters as of Sunday afternoon.
“All the issues the city council has could be alleviated with some creative thinking to help our businesses and ourselves,” it said.
Julie Hack, a manager at The Hangar high-end men’s clothing store in Panama City Beach, said she started the petition because she believes such a concert would boost everyone’s local business.
“It would bring so much money into our little town when its economy is struggling,” she said.
The council’s concerns include security — they do not want to revisit the type of mtvU-sponsored Lil’ Wayne rap concert that turned violent last Spring Break — and logistics.
Police Maj. David Humphreys told the council his agency couldn’t handle Absher’s crowd estimates — as many as 100,000 over two of the busiest Spring Break weekends.
Mayor Gayle Oberst agreed, but added that the city was investigating ways to add auxiliary police for large-scale events like Absher’s. That still leaves the question of a large-enough venue.
Absher, if he wants Frank Brown Park for his show, eventually will have to meet the city’s requirements under its new special events ordinance — and prove the event will have adequate security, bathrooms, parking, emergency services and insurance.
If he accomplished that, held his concert and it spun out of control, the city could shut it down, Oberst said.
The council pointed to the recent Seafood, Wine and Music Festival at Frank Brown as an approximation of its capacity (about 15,000 people per day).
Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Ferguson, too, was skeptical of Absher’s monstrous plan, but he still said he hopes Absher “didn’t walk away with a sour attitude on our location.”
“I think the door’s still open for a show of that magnitude as we grow,” Ferguson said. “I think people won’t be as closed-minded to it as some are.”
“I don’t know where he could have it. That’s a good question, and I guess that’s the magic question here: Where can it be?”
Back in California, Absher said he was spending the weeks after the council meeting “reaching out to some other entities in the city.” He declined to say who those were.
One competing venue, the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, east of Tallahassee, has expressed some interest.
“We’ve received more calls from more cities wanting us to come to their town,” Absher said. But “our emphasis is on Panama City and we’re trying to stay that way at least for the first year.”
“We’re exercising our options,” California-based concert organizer Ted Absher said recently of his plans for the first annual “Beach Scene Music Festival” in Panama City Beach.
And despite the cold reception here, “we’re not going to leave Panama City,” he said.
The site is minutes away from our Panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation
On Oct. 22, the council stifled Absher’s pitch for the two-weekend, nearly 60-act music event at Frank Brown Park, striking down the idea with a unanimous vote.
The proposal included world-famous names on a list of “potential” performers: Paul McCartney, Green Day, Beyonce and others. None of them, however, appear to be committed.
Its tentative sponsors, according to Absher and his Endless Summer production company, include Web giant YouTube.com, which Absher said might broadcast some of the shows live online.
One councilman summed it up as a “train wreck. But the idea struck others as a gold mine.
An online petition at petitionspot.com — titled “Bring business to PCB by saying OK to music fest” — appeared a week later, insisting the council should reconsider. It had 96 supporters as of Sunday afternoon.
“All the issues the city council has could be alleviated with some creative thinking to help our businesses and ourselves,” it said.
Julie Hack, a manager at The Hangar high-end men’s clothing store in Panama City Beach, said she started the petition because she believes such a concert would boost everyone’s local business.
“It would bring so much money into our little town when its economy is struggling,” she said.
The council’s concerns include security — they do not want to revisit the type of mtvU-sponsored Lil’ Wayne rap concert that turned violent last Spring Break — and logistics.
Police Maj. David Humphreys told the council his agency couldn’t handle Absher’s crowd estimates — as many as 100,000 over two of the busiest Spring Break weekends.
Mayor Gayle Oberst agreed, but added that the city was investigating ways to add auxiliary police for large-scale events like Absher’s. That still leaves the question of a large-enough venue.
Absher, if he wants Frank Brown Park for his show, eventually will have to meet the city’s requirements under its new special events ordinance — and prove the event will have adequate security, bathrooms, parking, emergency services and insurance.
If he accomplished that, held his concert and it spun out of control, the city could shut it down, Oberst said.
The council pointed to the recent Seafood, Wine and Music Festival at Frank Brown as an approximation of its capacity (about 15,000 people per day).
Ward 1 Councilman Jeff Ferguson, too, was skeptical of Absher’s monstrous plan, but he still said he hopes Absher “didn’t walk away with a sour attitude on our location.”
“I think the door’s still open for a show of that magnitude as we grow,” Ferguson said. “I think people won’t be as closed-minded to it as some are.”
“I don’t know where he could have it. That’s a good question, and I guess that’s the magic question here: Where can it be?”
Back in California, Absher said he was spending the weeks after the council meeting “reaching out to some other entities in the city.” He declined to say who those were.
One competing venue, the Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, east of Tallahassee, has expressed some interest.
“We’ve received more calls from more cities wanting us to come to their town,” Absher said. But “our emphasis is on Panama City and we’re trying to stay that way at least for the first year.”
Friday, October 30, 2009
Panama City Beach - Taste of Bay 2009 at Pier Park
Panama City Beach - Come hang out at a panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation for the Second annual Taste of THE Beach comes to Bay County! Taste of THE Beach - Wine. Dine. Donate., a four-day culinary and cultural celebration taking place Nov. 5-8 along Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast. This is the second year Bay County has hosted one of thirteen wine events and a Wine Maker & Shakers dinner at Firefly restaurant for the Taste of THE Beach.
Pier Park is the host location for the Taste of Bay, a food and wine experience under the stars. Wines, paired foods, live entertainment and retail wine sales will fill the main street of Pier Park on Friday November 6 from 5:30-8pm. Tickets for the event are $50 per person.
A more intimate event, a Wine Markers & Shakers dinner is being held on November 7 at Firefly Restaurant on Panama City Beach. Chef Paul will prepare a five-course meal, which will be matched with a celebrity vintner's reserve and older vintage wines at each of these locations to create an unforgettable evening. Tickets for this event are limited.
For more information on all events taking place during the Taste of THE Beach or to purchase tickets please visit www.tasteofthebeachfla.com
Pier Park is the host location for the Taste of Bay, a food and wine experience under the stars. Wines, paired foods, live entertainment and retail wine sales will fill the main street of Pier Park on Friday November 6 from 5:30-8pm. Tickets for the event are $50 per person.
A more intimate event, a Wine Markers & Shakers dinner is being held on November 7 at Firefly Restaurant on Panama City Beach. Chef Paul will prepare a five-course meal, which will be matched with a celebrity vintner's reserve and older vintage wines at each of these locations to create an unforgettable evening. Tickets for this event are limited.
For more information on all events taking place during the Taste of THE Beach or to purchase tickets please visit www.tasteofthebeachfla.com
Monday, October 26, 2009
Panama City Beach - It's Official-Southwest Airlines to Service New Airport
Panama City Beach - Southwest Airlines announces its intent to begin jet service from Northwest Florida's new international airport near Panama City, Florida in May 2010.
As you read further keep in mind that our Panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation is only about 10 miles from the new airport
The planned service is made possible through a strategic alliance agreement developed between Southwest and The St. Joe Company, one of Florida's largest landowners and real estate developers. The new airport will introduce daily jet service to the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast, providing Southwest Customers easy access to its stunning white-sand beaches and vibrant communities. For more information on the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast, please visit www.PCBeach.org or www.thebeachfla.com.
Southwest has not released specific service details, saying only that it will add at least two daily nonstop flights from Northwest Florida to four destinations across its 68 airport network for a total of eight daily nonstop flights when it begins service next year. Northwest Florida will be the first international airport to open in the nation in more than a decade. The new international airport is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in May 2010. Specific details on Southwest's fares and schedule will be available in December 2009.
"I am certain our more than 90 million annual Customers will be delighted to learn they are now free to hit Florida's white-sand beaches with Southwest Airlines' great, low-fare service from across the nation's largest airline network, taking Northwest Florida visitors off the roadways and into the airways," said Gary Kelly, Southwest's Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO. "I would like to applaud the ingenuity and hard work that both Southwest and St. Joe leadership poured into this unique agreement." Kelly said.
"Southwest's arrival in Northwest Florida is expected to stimulate job growth, economic development, and give travelers more of the options they've been seeking," said Britt Greene, President and CEO of St. Joe. "St. Joe is the largest landowner in Northwest Florida with hundreds of thousands of acres in the service area of the new airport site. Southwest will help position Northwest Florida as one of America's leading beach destinations. At the same time, this region is also home to one of the world's most important defense aerospace economic clusters anchored by U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army aviation installations."
A number of regional organizations are assisting in launching the service. Coastal Vision 3000, the Northwest Florida business group that created the regional destination brand, "The Beach," is participating in the initiative. The Bay County Tourism Development Council and The South Walton Tourism Development Council have pledged marketing resources. The Panama City - Bay County International Airport and Industrial District has worked hard to enable new air service.
The Company will release additional details regarding its future Panama City service in the coming months. The airline's entry into Florida's panhandle will be made possible in part by the airline optimizing its current flight schedule and repositioning aircraft.
YEA!!!
As you read further keep in mind that our Panama City Beach Condo Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation is only about 10 miles from the new airport
The planned service is made possible through a strategic alliance agreement developed between Southwest and The St. Joe Company, one of Florida's largest landowners and real estate developers. The new airport will introduce daily jet service to the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast, providing Southwest Customers easy access to its stunning white-sand beaches and vibrant communities. For more information on the Northwest Florida Gulf Coast, please visit www.PCBeach.org or www.thebeachfla.com.
Southwest has not released specific service details, saying only that it will add at least two daily nonstop flights from Northwest Florida to four destinations across its 68 airport network for a total of eight daily nonstop flights when it begins service next year. Northwest Florida will be the first international airport to open in the nation in more than a decade. The new international airport is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in May 2010. Specific details on Southwest's fares and schedule will be available in December 2009.
"I am certain our more than 90 million annual Customers will be delighted to learn they are now free to hit Florida's white-sand beaches with Southwest Airlines' great, low-fare service from across the nation's largest airline network, taking Northwest Florida visitors off the roadways and into the airways," said Gary Kelly, Southwest's Chairman of the Board, President, and CEO. "I would like to applaud the ingenuity and hard work that both Southwest and St. Joe leadership poured into this unique agreement." Kelly said.
"Southwest's arrival in Northwest Florida is expected to stimulate job growth, economic development, and give travelers more of the options they've been seeking," said Britt Greene, President and CEO of St. Joe. "St. Joe is the largest landowner in Northwest Florida with hundreds of thousands of acres in the service area of the new airport site. Southwest will help position Northwest Florida as one of America's leading beach destinations. At the same time, this region is also home to one of the world's most important defense aerospace economic clusters anchored by U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Army aviation installations."
A number of regional organizations are assisting in launching the service. Coastal Vision 3000, the Northwest Florida business group that created the regional destination brand, "The Beach," is participating in the initiative. The Bay County Tourism Development Council and The South Walton Tourism Development Council have pledged marketing resources. The Panama City - Bay County International Airport and Industrial District has worked hard to enable new air service.
The Company will release additional details regarding its future Panama City service in the coming months. The airline's entry into Florida's panhandle will be made possible in part by the airline optimizing its current flight schedule and repositioning aircraft.
YEA!!!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Panama City Beach - Social media reacts to Southwest news
PANAMA CITY Beach — from the News Herald… “This was the best news of my life,” a Nevada resident tweeted about Southwest Airlines’ decision to begin servicing the new Panama City airport.
Known as UNLVgirl to the Twitterverse, she had explained in an earlier tweet that her family lives in Panama City and now visits will be much cheaper.
She was not alone Wednesday.
Twitter, the popular micro-blogging Web site that allows users to communicate with followers 140 characters at a time, was abuzz yesterday with news that Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport will be the newest airport serviced by the Dallas-based air carrier.
“Yea, Panama City! White-sand beach vacations!” wrote Whitneye, her location not specified.
Like a majority of the other Southwest-related tweets — each individual message is called a “tweet” — on Wednesday, she was pleased by the news.
Not to be outdone, commenters on NewsHerald.com, which offered a more local perspective, were, as usual, quite opionated about the decision.
“OK, everybody can exhale now. Great work!” was the first comment posted by jasiron.
A majority of the comments were excited about the news. However, mixed among the congratulatory fervor were a few hints of skepticism.
“If the bribe is big enough, anyone can be bought! Let’s just hope some of the benefit does trickle down to the ‘ordinary citizen,’ opined Bonjourno, referring to
a deal Southwest entered with the St. Joe Co., under which St. Joe will ensure Southwest at least break even during its first two years.
Others predicted a positive economic impact for the region.
“It cannot happen soon enough. We need jobs, we need jobs, we need jobs,” commented umpireblue.
Readers of the Dallas Morning News, the hometown paper of Southwest’s corporate headquarters, also took note of the news. And, while Dallas experiences low 60s and overcast skies, it appears that paper’s commenters understand the benefits of Southwest servicing Panama City.
“Too bad this route didn’t open today. I’d go just to get out of this crappy weather,” wrote JG.
Known as UNLVgirl to the Twitterverse, she had explained in an earlier tweet that her family lives in Panama City and now visits will be much cheaper.
She was not alone Wednesday.
Twitter, the popular micro-blogging Web site that allows users to communicate with followers 140 characters at a time, was abuzz yesterday with news that Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport will be the newest airport serviced by the Dallas-based air carrier.
“Yea, Panama City! White-sand beach vacations!” wrote Whitneye, her location not specified.
Like a majority of the other Southwest-related tweets — each individual message is called a “tweet” — on Wednesday, she was pleased by the news.
Not to be outdone, commenters on NewsHerald.com, which offered a more local perspective, were, as usual, quite opionated about the decision.
“OK, everybody can exhale now. Great work!” was the first comment posted by jasiron.
A majority of the comments were excited about the news. However, mixed among the congratulatory fervor were a few hints of skepticism.
“If the bribe is big enough, anyone can be bought! Let’s just hope some of the benefit does trickle down to the ‘ordinary citizen,’ opined Bonjourno, referring to
a deal Southwest entered with the St. Joe Co., under which St. Joe will ensure Southwest at least break even during its first two years.
Others predicted a positive economic impact for the region.
“It cannot happen soon enough. We need jobs, we need jobs, we need jobs,” commented umpireblue.
Readers of the Dallas Morning News, the hometown paper of Southwest’s corporate headquarters, also took note of the news. And, while Dallas experiences low 60s and overcast skies, it appears that paper’s commenters understand the benefits of Southwest servicing Panama City.
“Too bad this route didn’t open today. I’d go just to get out of this crappy weather,” wrote JG.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Panama City Beach - Southwest Airlines coming?
PANAMA CITY BEACH — Airport Authority Chairman Joe Tannehill said Monday that Bay County should know by December whether Southwest Airlines is coming to the new Northwest Florida-Panama City International Airport.
There were rumors on Twitter when we were at our Panama City Beach Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation that Southwest Airlines is going to fly to Panama City Beach from Nashville and Baltimore. Being from Nashville, a direct flight to PCB on Southwest would be great!
“I haven’t been told a specific date and I haven’t asked them for a specific date,” said Tannehill, who has been intimately involved in negotiations with Southwest and other low-cost carriers in advance of the new airport’s May 2010 opening.
“But we know that if they are coming anywhere in the Panhandle, they have to have it resolved by December for their own business reasons,” he said. “They would want to begin selling tickets after the first of the year.”
Tannehill on Monday also left open whether Airport Authority members would revisit the issue of the airport’s new name, which was chosen last week. Northwest Florida Panama City International. I agree they can do better.
Email your name suggestions to me and I will send them to the board.
There were rumors on Twitter when we were at our Panama City Beach Reserve The Best Panama City Beach Condos for Your Beach Vacation that Southwest Airlines is going to fly to Panama City Beach from Nashville and Baltimore. Being from Nashville, a direct flight to PCB on Southwest would be great!
“I haven’t been told a specific date and I haven’t asked them for a specific date,” said Tannehill, who has been intimately involved in negotiations with Southwest and other low-cost carriers in advance of the new airport’s May 2010 opening.
“But we know that if they are coming anywhere in the Panhandle, they have to have it resolved by December for their own business reasons,” he said. “They would want to begin selling tickets after the first of the year.”
Tannehill on Monday also left open whether Airport Authority members would revisit the issue of the airport’s new name, which was chosen last week. Northwest Florida Panama City International. I agree they can do better.
Email your name suggestions to me and I will send them to the board.
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