The City of St. Petersburg cordially invite you to attend

the Groundbreaking for the Albert Whitted Air Traffic Control Tower

City officials gathered May 28^th to formerly “break ground”.  More than fifty local residents were in attendance as Bill Foster, Mayor of the City of St. Petersburg welcomed this construction project that was so long in the making.  Congressman Bill Young worked tirelessly to secure the additional funding needed from the FAA. 

The Albert Whitted Airport was awarded the 2009 Florida General Aviation Airport of the Year by the Florida DOT, and Ocean Gate is assisting the airport in its’ upgrade of facilities.  Work is underway on a new air traffic control tower facility. 

Mayor Foster acknowledged the project management Kirk Asche provided on a daily basis.  They have enjoyed their association with Ocean Gate as this project has gotten underway.  

The Five Story, 3,057 square foot, and 85-foot tall facility has pilings in place going down into the earth more than sixty-feet to support the foundation.  The next phase of construction will see the vertical shaft rise up eighty-five feet to the tower cab.  In addition to the tower, the team will construct a new unmanned national weather service monitoring station south of the tower. After commissioning the new tower, the existing tower will be demolished and new landscaping and hardscapes will be installed. Site work, site lighting, and additional parking spaces are also included in the scope of work.  Work is proceeding on schedule. 

The City’s capital improvements for the airport include:  a new Air Traffic Control Tower, a parallel taxiway on the north side of Runway 7/25, and expansion of the terminal ramp. Construction on these projects is expected to start in 2010. In the fall of 2009, the City also started the design process for an expanded aircraft parking ramp on the south side of the airport.