Florida’s Kissimmee Gateway Airport (Booth 2976), about 15 miles south of Orlando, recently completed two major projects, a new five-acre Business Airpark as well as new taxiway and road access in the new AeroVista development. The projects make about 20 acres open to both aviation and non-aviation development.

The target market for the Airpark is “small to medium-sized aviation businesses interested in constructing a ten- to twelve-thousand-square-foot hangar with office/shop,” said Terry Lloyd, the airport’s director of aviation. “These sites are essentially pad-ready, with very little site work needed.”

The AeroVista development is the result of a new four-lane public road constructed through the airport’s northeast side. The area north of the road is developable for non-aviation use, said Lloyd, with convenient access to downtown Kissimmee and Highway 192, offering easy access to Interstate 4 (which runs right past the Orange County Convention Center where the NBAA show is being held), the Florida Turnpike and Orlando International Airport.

Part of the area south of Hoagland Boulevarad is already under lease to Signature Flight Support, which has established an already-busy FBO there (visited by AIN in late August, just as the access roads were being completed). Ranger Jet Center also has hangars for lease and property sited for a large-scale aircraft maintenance hangar.

All development is eligible for enterprise zone incentives, said Lloyd, and uses such as aircraft maintenance and manufacturing are eligible for state of Florida targeted incentives.

Kissimmee Gateway is also home to SunState Aviation, a professional flight training school, which is housed in a modern new facility. The school is popular with would-be pilots from around the world, Europe in particular. Kissimmee is also a great area for recreational flying and has a seaplane base down on Lake Tohopekaliga.