Construction is under way at the nation’s first brand-new greenfield airport in the 21st century, with planners doing their best to anticipate the security, technology and environmental needs to come. The new Panama City-Bay County Airport, scheduled for completion in 2010, presents “somewhat of a guessing game,” says John Zebroski, airport project manager.

The $330-million airport is the centerpiece of the West Bay Sector Plan, an ambitious 74,000-acre long-term development for the Gulf Coast. Initial steps in the land-use plan include building 4.4 million sq ft of industrial, commercial and retail space. Another component is establishing a 37,000-acre conservation area, including nearly the entire shoreline of West Bay. Jackson ville-based St. Joe Co. offered the acreage to airport officials several years ago during their search for a new site. The offer was approved in 2005.