St Pete Times
An aviation company is looking at a site in Hillsborough County to place its headquarters and an aircraft maintenance operation next year.
County economic development officials won't identify the company, which is seeking $900,000 in tax incentives to come to the area, or the site. But officials say the deal would create 300 new jobs paying an annual average salary of about $36,500.
"This company would have an impact not only in direct jobs created but also in exposure of the community to airlines," said Bruce Register, Hillsborough County's corporate development manager.
The mystery company could be a maintenance contractor for airlines or an airline that does its own maintenance work, said Louis Miller, Tampa International Airport's executive director. But Miller, who said he didn't know anything about the deal, said an airline would likely deal directly with airport officials instead of going through economic development agencies, he said.
Tampa International Airport has been trying to find a tenant for the 150,000-square-foot maintenance hangar that US Airways abandoned in 2003 during its bankruptcy reorganization. The airline employed about 300 mechanics and related workers at the hangar, built in the early '90s with $27-million in tax-free bonds.
US Airways defaulted on the bonds, leaving the bond trustee to find a new buyer by March 2005 or turn over the facility to the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which owns the airport, Miller said.
The trustee, Bank of New York, has mentioned contract maintenance companies as potential tenants but never gave the aviation authority a formal proposal, he said. Airport officials pitched the hangar to Tampa International's two largest air carriers, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, without success.
A site selection consultant came to TIA two or three months ago asking about land where an unidentified client could build a facility, Miller said. He doesn't know if the visit was related to the proposal economic development officials revealed Friday.
The project became public in an application to the County Commission for economic incentives. The company is seeking $900,000 in tax refunds under a state program to entice businesses to create jobs paying above-average wages in Florida.
The County Commission is scheduled to vote on its share of the tax rebates - $180,000 over four years - at its meeting Wednesday.
- Staff Writer Janet Zink contributed to this report.
An aviation company is looking at a site in Hillsborough County to place its headquarters and an aircraft maintenance operation next year.
County economic development officials won't identify the company, which is seeking $900,000 in tax incentives to come to the area, or the site. But officials say the deal would create 300 new jobs paying an annual average salary of about $36,500.
"This company would have an impact not only in direct jobs created but also in exposure of the community to airlines," said Bruce Register, Hillsborough County's corporate development manager.
The mystery company could be a maintenance contractor for airlines or an airline that does its own maintenance work, said Louis Miller, Tampa International Airport's executive director. But Miller, who said he didn't know anything about the deal, said an airline would likely deal directly with airport officials instead of going through economic development agencies, he said.
Tampa International Airport has been trying to find a tenant for the 150,000-square-foot maintenance hangar that US Airways abandoned in 2003 during its bankruptcy reorganization. The airline employed about 300 mechanics and related workers at the hangar, built in the early '90s with $27-million in tax-free bonds.
US Airways defaulted on the bonds, leaving the bond trustee to find a new buyer by March 2005 or turn over the facility to the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority, which owns the airport, Miller said.
The trustee, Bank of New York, has mentioned contract maintenance companies as potential tenants but never gave the aviation authority a formal proposal, he said. Airport officials pitched the hangar to Tampa International's two largest air carriers, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, without success.
A site selection consultant came to TIA two or three months ago asking about land where an unidentified client could build a facility, Miller said. He doesn't know if the visit was related to the proposal economic development officials revealed Friday.
The project became public in an application to the County Commission for economic incentives. The company is seeking $900,000 in tax refunds under a state program to entice businesses to create jobs paying above-average wages in Florida.
The County Commission is scheduled to vote on its share of the tax rebates - $180,000 over four years - at its meeting Wednesday.
- Staff Writer Janet Zink contributed to this report.
