"Business execs rally for Florida runway"

Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Business execs rally for runway
BY SONJI JACOBS
The Miami (FL) Herald


A group of Broward business leaders will host a private meeting and
fundraiser this morning to muster support for controversial plans to expand
the south runway at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

Members of the group Friends of the Airport hope the breakfast presentation
also will raise money for an aviation expert they recently hired to persuade
county commissioners of the merits of a south runway expansion.

''The purpose is to educate the business community about where we are in the
process,'' said Randy Dunlap, a Friends of the Airport member. ``There are
important safety, growth and fairness issues.''

Hollywood, Dania Beach and Davie city leaders, many of them opposed to the
south runway plan, also have doled out money for studies.

The controversy heated up two weeks ago when Fort Lauderdale voided a 1997
airport development agreement with the county -- an action they said should
stop all construction related to the current expansion. City officials took
that action after the county hired a consultant to explore other expansion
options.

County leaders have not stopped work on the ongoing $1 billion expansion and
renovation project, and both sides say the legal maneuvering could take
months.

So far the county has spent $655 million on a new terminal, parking garage,
entrance loop and renovations. Other planned improvements include more gates
and a nine-story parking garage.


 Do you have an opinion about this story?
Share it with other readers in our CAA Discussion Forums

http://www.californiaaviation.org/dc/dcboard.php

*****************************************