Airport Proposes $60 Million Clearwater Parking Garage
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport plans a garage holding more than 2,000 cars as parking remains travelers' top complaint.
Updated on Nov. 9, 2026 in Air Travel
Live Poll
Should local governments spend public money expanding airport parking?
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport has proposed a $60 million parking garage next to its terminal, which would hold more than 2,000 cars. The plan follows an earlier shrinking of a large terminal project.
Why it matters
Parking is the top complaint from travelers, and passenger growth has been record-breaking for the past 10 to 15 years. The current terminal can serve about 3 million passengers while 2.8 million pass through it today.
The garage is projected to cost $60 million and hold more than 2,000 cars, while the terminal currently handles about 2.8 million passengers against a capacity of roughly 3 million. Whether the garage will proceed on the projected schedule beyond its planned start remains unconfirmed.
The players
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport
A Pinellas County-owned airport serving the Clearwater and St. Petersburg area, which is funded through user fees and grants rather than tax dollars.
Mark Sprague
The director of St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport who presented the garage and terminal plans to the Florida Economic Club.
The details
Airport director Mark Sprague described the plans at a Florida Economic Club gathering on Wednesday evening at Voodoo Brewing Co. in St. Petersburg. The airport receives no tax dollars, relying instead on user fees, airline charges, lease rentals, concessions, and federal and state grants, and each project is fully funded before work begins.
Timeline
1957: Airport first opened.
March: Mark Sprague became airport director.
September: Airport approved a new five-year contract with Allegiant Airlines.
January 2027: Garage construction is expected to start.
Spring 2028: Garage is expected to finish.
Season Trajectory
The airport's garage proposal follows its earlier decision to shrink a large terminal project in 2026, signaling a shift toward incremental capacity additions. Passenger growth at the airport has been reactive, and the terminal could one day handle 4.5 to 5 million passengers under future expansion.
Travelers using the airport may eventually have more parking options, which addresses the top complaint from passengers. Until the garage opens in spring 2028, travelers should continue to plan for current parking availability.
The takeaway
Travelers planning trips through St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport should expect parking to remain a constraint until the proposed garage is completed. The airport's incremental expansion approach means capacity improvements will arrive in phases.
What happens next
Work on the $60 million garage is expected to start in January 2027 and finish by spring 2028.
Further reading
Explore more on Air Travel coverage for Clearwater airport developments.
Source note: This article includes information reported by 995qyk.
Live Poll
Should local governments spend public money expanding airport parking?
