The dark cloud hanging over the Flagler County Airport has a silver lining -- three of them in fact.
Just days after Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University announced it was pulling its Commercial Airline Pilot Training program out of the Flagler facility, county commissioners approved three agreements with new tenants at the airport.
This past Monday, commissioners approved a lease agreements with Ginn Development Co. for a corporate hangar facility and with Cakes Across America for an office facility. Commissioners also approved an agreement with Flagler Aircraft Services for rehabilitation and lease of an existing hangar at the airport.
In the meantime, county officials have already fielded inquiries regarding the ERAU facility.
"I think the real story here is there will be people in line waiting to assume that property," said Jim Jarrell, deputy county administrator. "We've had a considerable amount of interest."
Jarrell said overall development at the airport -- which is the major source of revenue for the general aviation facility along with the sale of airplane fuel -- is still in good shape. He said the county has even received inquiries about commercial space from companies that are not aviation-related. For a business to locate at the airport, it has to have some type of connection to aviation, Jarrell said.
"There's interest just because of the commercial property," he said.
Jarrell said while it unfortunate that the Embry-Riddle program did not work out long-term, it proves the county's foresight in structuring the lease agreement the way it did.
"We knew it was a bit of a risk on a business proposition," he said. "If the county were a commercial business, we might be more willing to take a risk, but we are a public operation and we are not in a position to jeopardize public funds."
Daytona Beach News
Flagler County Airport (X47)
Just days after Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University announced it was pulling its Commercial Airline Pilot Training program out of the Flagler facility, county commissioners approved three agreements with new tenants at the airport.
This past Monday, commissioners approved a lease agreements with Ginn Development Co. for a corporate hangar facility and with Cakes Across America for an office facility. Commissioners also approved an agreement with Flagler Aircraft Services for rehabilitation and lease of an existing hangar at the airport.
In the meantime, county officials have already fielded inquiries regarding the ERAU facility.
"I think the real story here is there will be people in line waiting to assume that property," said Jim Jarrell, deputy county administrator. "We've had a considerable amount of interest."
Jarrell said overall development at the airport -- which is the major source of revenue for the general aviation facility along with the sale of airplane fuel -- is still in good shape. He said the county has even received inquiries about commercial space from companies that are not aviation-related. For a business to locate at the airport, it has to have some type of connection to aviation, Jarrell said.
"There's interest just because of the commercial property," he said.
Jarrell said while it unfortunate that the Embry-Riddle program did not work out long-term, it proves the county's foresight in structuring the lease agreement the way it did.
"We knew it was a bit of a risk on a business proposition," he said. "If the county were a commercial business, we might be more willing to take a risk, but we are a public operation and we are not in a position to jeopardize public funds."
Daytona Beach News
Flagler County Airport (X47)
