ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Members of the St. Pete City Council are set to vote Thursday afternoon on a series of updates to Albert Whitted Airport’s master plan.

Master plan updates are an FAA requirement and must be completed every 20 years. The last time Albert Whitted Airport’s master plan was analyzed was in 2007.

Updates to the plan try to answer the question, "What is the future demand at the airport over the next 20 years?" and then makes recommendations based on those findings.

What You Need To Know

  • St. Pete mayor wants to discuss value of airport site  

  • City council set to vote on master plan updates

  • Bigger study in the works

Recommendations the St. Pete City Council will be voting on include new hangar space, a longer runway and changes to the taxi area.

St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch has been vocal since taking office about his hopes to explore other options for the airport’s more than 100-acre waterfront property.

According to Brian Caper, Director of  Economic and Workforce Development in St Pete, the city is preparing to launch an economic impact assessment in which a consulting firm will take a look at what the best uses for the airport property would be

The city selected consultant HR&A to conduct the study. The group plans to asses the economic, fiscal and community impacts the airport would have should the new master plan updates move forward, as well as look at other alternatives for the land.

“That will ultimately be informed by community input,” Caper said. “If it isn’t an airport what else should it be? Then we’ll take that feedback from the community and look at those economic, fiscal and social impacts for those alternatives.

The contract with HR&A has not been formally approved, but is expected to go before the St. Pete City Council this summer.

The vote on the master plan updates is expected to take place Thursday.