Choosing the site

Rodda wrote, "With the support of the Lee County Commission, a committee was created that included representatives from Charlotte and Collier Counties to explore, first, the feasibility of a new airport and, second, the best location that could be found."

Ben Pratt, former Lee County Transportation Director and a major player in this part of the project, conducted these studies with input from financial consultants, planners and the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA). "All in all," he said in an interview for this history, "they looked at about 27 different sites, from Six Mile Cypress to a place called Grimy Gulch."

Both Charlotte and Collier counties decided not to participate. However, Lee County persevered and a site was chosen off what is now 1-75 and Daniels Road.

The airport master plan was developed with the input of many experts including the firm of R. Dixon Speas/Brevard Engineering, the project's consulting planners and engineers.

Eastern Airlines had been awarded routes into Fort Myers so they were now included along with National Airlines in the decision-making process.

Besides the participating airlines, it was necessary to have the approval of the FAA and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A study of the soil by consulting engineers indicated it was satisfactory. Safety, and accessibility factors were approved and even those of the environmental community who had earlier disputed the project agreed. Together with the Board of County Commissioners, the FAA and the airlines, the project was approved to move ahead.

In his article, Rodda recalled, "The project was the responsibility of the Lee County Commission...to have the project designed, built and financed including the selection of the engineers, architects and contractors along with the acquisition of land.

"A financial consultant, Smith Barney, was chosen to provide a financial plan. (The firm of) Howard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendoff was selected as the designing engineer, and ultimately, the project managers. They, in turn, selected the terminal architects as a part of their contract, and they chose the local firm of William Frizzell and Associates. An individual named George Smith of the firm Business Smith, Inc. was hired to develop the Airport Use Agreement which would eventually bind the airlines to Lee County and vice versa. He also did the original financial feasibility study."

Metric Constructors, Inc. of Tampa were the construction contractors.

"The Lee County Commission," Rodda continued, "surrounded itself with the best expertise it could find. After all, of all the players, FAA, the airlines, the engineers and other consultants, the only amateurs were the commissioners themselves and their staff.

"In fact, in terms of totally new airport facilities, it is questionable as to the expertise of anyone. Since 1970, and the adoption of the Airport and Airways Development Aid Program (A D.A.P.) regulations, only two new airports have been built from the ground up -- Dallas/Fort Worth and the Southwest Florida Regional Airport."

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