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Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport completes $5.5 million shade canopy project

The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport has finished construction on its new shade canopies, marking the completion of a $5.5 million project approved by the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners in September 2023. The canopies were designed to enhance capacity at the busy airport while also providing safety improvements, and were a key piece of the airport’s master […]

Source: Okaloosa County

The Destin-Fort Walton Beach Airport has finished construction on its new shade canopies, marking the completion of a $5.5 million project approved by the Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners in September 2023.

  • The new canopies cover the curbside pickup area used by rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft. They connect to covered walkways leading to the main terminal curb for arriving and departing passengers.

The canopies were designed to enhance capacity at the busy airport while also providing safety improvements, and were a key piece of the airport’s master plan developed in 2020. 

As part of the project, existing covered walkways leading to long-term parking, employee parking, and car rental return areas were rehabilitated. These structures were sandblasted, repainted, and fitted with new roofs to match the appearance of the new canopies.

  • The project also included the relocation of the primary flagpole to a more prominent position visible to all airport guests and passing traffic on Highway 85.

Funding for the project came primarily from $4.5 million in reprogrammed federal CARES Act pandemic relief funds, allowing the airport to complete the construction in one phase rather than over several years as originally planned.

Additional funding was provided by the Federal Aviation Administration and Florida Department of Transportation grants, with less than 4% of the total cost coming from airport revenues.

4 Responses

  1. Why not go further, in CA many public parking areas provide cool shaded places, at swimming pools and the roofs are solar panels, thus powering most of the pools operations.

  2. I would suggest a supplemental project to add solar panels to all of these walkway covers.

  3. Meanwhile there are potholes all over fort Walton on eglin parkway and racetrack road. What a joke of my tax dollars at use!

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Community Comments

“What an asshole thing to say there ol Bill Hipple. I’m sure you’re a peach to be around.”
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“I hope the people on Solar st and Green Dr raise hell! They don't want this. That's why they bought on dead end streets.”
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“There should be a "stop adding 3 story and higher houses/condominiums" as the island is over populated and the situation continues. Infrastructure was not considered when tourism began to be...”
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“Relocate the damn salamanders!! Building highways through established neighborhoods will not solve anything!”
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“I have heard this whole area will be home to military and tourist. This area will start looking like Daytona Beach. Sadly, this is what out of town companies want...”
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“my only objection is why does it take $4 million to study the project.”
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“A Medal of Honor? You must be joking The only honor in this tow was the ship being towed. The Vinik 6 is a rusty POS that’s lucky it lasted...”
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“Can’t wait for it to open. My grandchildren are super excited.”
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