Is The 'Florida Panhandle International Airport' Coming?

A development company has agreed to donate 4,000 acres of land to create a large, international airport in the Florida Panhandle, a controversial move they hope will bring enough people and economic activity to support the houses they plan to build.

1 minute read

May 9, 2007, 11:00 AM PDT

By Nate Berg


"A supersized $330 million airport is planned for the piney wilderness about 20 miles from downtown Panama City, big enough to handle international flights, Air Force One and even the giant Airbus A380. It will have more acreage than La Guardia in New York and Newark Liberty International combined."

"But the airport has a supporter that carries extraordinary weight in the region, the St. Joe Company, the largest private landowner in Florida. The company, a onetime paper producer that has switched to developing resort communities, wants to donate 4,000 of its 774,000 mostly rural acres for the project. In return, St. Joe hopes the airport will help lure wealthy homebuyers to the Panhandle, which it is marketing as 'Florida's Great Northwest.'"

"The airport is at the center of a growing debate over whether to keep the Panhandle relatively quiet or to seek the kind of development that has made other parts of Florida vibrant, if teeming, hubs of sprawl. Opponents of the airport plan call it corporate welfare, with taxpayers getting the bill for a project that would mostly help a single developer."

Wednesday, May 9, 2007 in The New York Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Map of Haussmann's redesign of Paris in the 1850s through 1870s under Napoleon III.

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking

Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

June 30, 2025 - Tom Sanchez

Street with parking protected bike lane and parked cars in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance

The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

July 8 - Willamette Week

Aerial view of Spokane, Washington with river in foreground.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package

Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

July 8 - The Spokesman-Review

Close-up on black and white "Bike Lane Ends" sign with bike logo.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane

The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.

July 8 - Houston Public Media

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA