INVERNESS, FL (352today.com) – As of Aug. 1, construction on Citrus County’s long-awaited Inverness Airport Business Park (IABP) is finally underway.
Since the eighty-acre site’s acquisition by the Citrus County Board of Commissioners in 2001 as a prime location for future aviation-related development, local officials have been working toward the property’s groundbreaking.
“It’s a big day for Citrus County,” said County Economic Development Director Frank Calascione. “Many years of work have come to fruition here with this groundbreaking ceremony.”
The Inverness Airport Business Park aims to become a premier location for new flight facilities and make Citrus County a hotspot for career-class aviation jobs. Right Rudder Aviation, which currently manages the Inverness Airport as a fixed-based operator (FBO) and runs a flight school for a commercial airline, is one such business Citrus County hopes will take advantage of the new business park.
The project’s goals include expanding taxiways and roads to the site, something officials believe will attract companies to commit to the location. This comes to a $14 million investment, with $9 million provided by the Florida Legislature as approved by Governor DeSantis in June 2023.
“Citrus County is taking a step forward,” said Chairman Davis Schlabach to the groundbreaking ceremony’s crowd of community leaders and elected officials, including Congressman Gus Bilirakis. “Florida remains a leader in aviation and aerospace,” Schlabach continued. “We plan to do all we can to promote growth in these important industries. Let today be the beginning of a new chapter in Citrus County.”
The project is projected to create up to 500,000 square feet of light industrial capacity and hangars, over 700 jobs and approximately $1.8 million in local economic impact. This is estimated to take about two years.
“This is what you call seizing the moment,” said Commissioner Rebecca Bays, representative for District 4 of the Board of County Commissioners, where the site is located. “I think this is an opportunity that can lead us into the future. It can change generational poverty; we can get good jobs out here.”
She went on to emphasize the local tax benefits of the business park.
The project “changes the trajectory of our tax base,” she added: unlike surrounding counties, the majority of the tax burden in Citrus County is still borne by residential homeowners.
“This is a big deal for Citrus County,” said Josh Wooten, the Chamber of Commerce CEO and former Commissioner. “This commission and this administration is getting us where we need to be. We’re getting ahead of the curve. We’ve gone from a culture of ‘that ain’t gonna happen’ to things are happening.”