St. Pete-Clearwater airport embarks on $110M terminal expansion amid stellar growth

St Pete Clearwater International Airport closed 2023 with a 2% increase over 2022 and six individual monthly records | St Pete Clearwater Airport

Passenger activity is soaring at the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport (PIE), which welcomed nearly 2.5 million travelers last year and is preparing to handle even more.

"Because we are a strong tourism destination and have many direct flights with Allegiant Air [the leading airline at PIE], we are very fortunate to see such a recovery post-pandemic," said Airport Director Tom Jewsbury during a Tuesday, January 23rd airport event celebrating the historic passenger record.

The airport, located northwest of Interstate I-275, has non-stop routes to over 65 cities, which is primarily offered through Allegiant Air.

"We are now reaching a point to start on a significant expansion of the terminal and to provide future connections with Allegiant and other airlines," added Jewsbury.

This spring, PIE will start the design work on a $110 million terminal expansion to consolidate the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) checkpoints and build a new level for passenger boarding. There would also be additional gates, creating opportunities to accommodate more airlines and food and beverage vendors.

Today, local businesses such as Mazzaro’s Italian Market and 3 Daughters Brewing lease space in the airport.

A rendering of the terminal expansion planned for St Pete Clearwater International Airport | St. Pete Clearwater Airport

Airport officials expect to commence construction next year. Completion is expected in 2027. Pending contract approval, New York-based C&S Companies will provide engineering and construction consulting services on the expansion project.

While capturing more domestic city connections is a focus for small and mid-size airports, international travel is a lucrative market. Allegiant offers several connections from PIE to Canadian cities.

The low-cost airline has a joint venture with Mexican airline VivaAerobus to connect domestic travelers to popular Mexican beaches. Allegiant is currently working with the U.S. Department of Transportation to launch the service, which would add direct flights from PIE to Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, and Los Cabos, Jewsbury said.

Amid the boom in passenger growth over the past few years, Jewsbury said the airport will also construct a parking garage.

A replica of the Benoist Airboat that pilot Tony Jannus flew on the First Airline round-trip from St. Pete to Tampa on January 1, 1914 | St Pete Clearwater Airport

PIE has maxed out all of acreage dedicated for surface parking lots, which can reach capacity during high-traffic days.

The future 1,000-space parking garage may cost north of $35 million.

Jewsbury said he hopes to start the design process later this year.

Another major component of the airport's revenue stream is selling and leasing out the land it owns. PIE is located on approximately 2,000 acres of designated Foreign Trade Zone land (FTZ 193) that's split between terminal uses and airfield operations.

In 2022, giant yacht retailer and manufacturer MarineMax and its company Intrepid Powerboats planned to build a 132,000-square-foot manufacturing hub at the home of the former Turtle Club.