Wade says hangars needed

PANAMA CITY, Fla. -- Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport needs new hangars to lure a top tier aerospace company. That's according to Bay County Economic Development Alliance Director Neal Wade. Although Wade would not name names because of a confidentiality agreement, he said there's one contender to bring 700 aerospace jobs to the West Bay area near the airport. Wade wants two hangars. The cost is in the vicinity of $30 million, airport officials said. Wade said a couple of potential sources for funding are being worked. Airport Executive Director Parker W. McClellan agreed. "We have 50 acres ready to go tomorrow ... All we need is one hangar to get started." McClellan said if one hangar opened, there could be 50 to 200 additional acres of property that could be developed. Wade noted that in April, Commercial Jet, an aircraft maintenance company, announced the opening of a 400,000-square-foot facility at Alabama's Dothan Regional Airport. "Commercial Jet is in Dothan because they have hangars there and that's the reason they are not here," Wade said. (Source: News Herald, 07/10/13) Related: Dothan facility lands client; $12M investment in Dothan MRO