Lee County Port Authority to vote Sept. 3 on hangar rent increases of up to 125% at Page Field

Lee County Port Authority commissioners are scheduled to vote on September 3 on proposed hangar rent increases at Page Field airport in Fort Myers, Florida, with some categories facing hikes of up to 125% effective October 1. The steepest increases would affect box hangars: rent for 3,600-square-foot box hangars in Building 647 would rise from about $1,000 to $2,250 per month, while smaller 2,340-square-foot hangars would rise from about $800 to $1,500 per month, an 87.5% increase, according to figures the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association obtained from port authority staff.

A March appraisal by Slack, Johnston & Magenheimer Inc., commissioned by the port authority, found FMY hangar rates below those at seven comparable Florida Gulf Coast general aviation airports across all categories — small T-hangars averaged $640 regionally versus $382–$501 at FMY, medium T-hangars averaged $700–$910 versus $600 at FMY, and shade hangars averaged $335 versus $251 at FMY — and the report did not recommend raising rates.

At a May 7 public workshop, commissioners agreed not to phase in the increases as staff had recommended, prompting opposition from local aviators and AOPA. On August 31, AOPA sent a letter urging a phased approach over two to three years, with regional manager Stacey Heaton writing that this would better balance the port authority's finances, FAA policy and tenants' interests. Randy Henderson, president of the 105-member Fort Myers Flying Club and former Fort Myers mayor, said sudden increases would likely raise club dues and burden pilots who are not wealthy, while aviator Peter Modys called hangar rent "probably the largest cost of owning an airplane" and urged a gradual increase. The September 3 vote will also cover public parking rate increases at Southwest Florida International Airport.