Whiting aviation park still $20 million away

After a decade of local efforts, Santa Rosa County can now boast the first and only limited access use agreement with the U.S. Navy for Whiting Aviation Park.

“We’re about to turn a pine forest into a regional aviation park,” said Cindy Anderson, executive director of TEAM Santa Rosa.

Whiting Aviation Park includes 267 acres adjacent to South Field Naval Air Station Whiting Field to be used as a commercial industrial park. The limited access use agreement with the Navy will enable future civilian park tenants to utilize existing airfield facilities, which will allow TEAM to attract a mixture of aviation related businesses and non aviation development.

Even though future industrial park tenants can make use of the existing military runway and other facilities, Anderson said the project still needed about a $20 million investment. “When you hear the price tag on it, it’s going to sit you back in your seats,” she told commissioners. “But keep in mind what we don’t have to pay for.”

For more on this story, see the Nov. 10 issue of Navarre Press or subscribe online.