Florida Construction News staff writer
The Tallahassee City Commission has approved a request to match a $2.1 million grant from the Florida Department of Transportation for construction of an International Processing Facility (IPF) at Tallahassee International Airport (TLH).
Commissioners awarded a construction contract in 2021 to Whitesell-Green, Inc. in the amount of $24,649,800.
“The IPF is a key part of TLH’s long-term strategy to enhance the airport’s economic impact and strengthen our region’s competitiveness in the global market,” said Vanessa Spaulding, Deputy Director of the airport. “With 80 percent of construction already complete, we expect to finish the project by the end of the year.”The new 40,000-square-foot facility will include a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)-approved international Port of Entry and a Federal Inspection Services Facility, which will serve both commercial air traffic and general aviation. The expansion will also support international flights and the shipping of goods to and from destinations worldwide.
The $30.5 million project is a key piece of the five-year strategic plan to enhance and modernize infrastructure to enable capacity for continued growth and increase the airport’s annual economic impact to $1 billion.
When complete, TLH will be able to accommodate international flights, ship and receive goods from worldwide destinations. This project will provide for a terminal expansion to house a U.S. Customs and Border Protection approved international port-of-entry and a Federal Inspection Facility (FIS) that will serve both commercial air service and general aviation needs at TLH.
This grant adds to the more than $94 million in state and federal funding TLH has secured since 2017.
