Copyright Times Publishing Co. Aug 27, 2003

The federal government awarded St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport $3.7-million for a runway expansion project, U.S. Department of Transportation officials announced Monday.

And it's a good thing, because the money has already been spent.

Pinellas County Administrator Steve Spratt said the federal money was expected and will go toward reimbursing the airport for design and permitting costs.

Spratt said the Federal Aviation Administration recently completed its environmental study of the airport and found no significant effect of the expansion that would impede awarding the grant.

"It is the next step in that fairly complicated process you go through" when extending a runway, Spratt said.

Airport officials want to extend the runway to 10,000 feet to attract nonstop international flights. Residents in Feather Sound, Safety Harbor and Oldsmar oppose the extension, saying more air traffic would mean noisy planes overhead.

The runway extension is expected to be finished in 2005 and is the first major step in the county's proposed $223-million airport expansion.

Airport officials presented the first master plan since the 1970s in June as a preview of what they will ask commissioners to approve in October.

The plan calls for a $72-million investment over the next five years. That would provide nearly $19-million for terminal expansion and $53-million for runway expansion and other facilities.

A portion of that grant also will reimburse the airport for post- Sept. 11 security enhancements.

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