Lee County Port Authority

Lee County Port Authority, a U.S. local government port authority headquartered in Fort Myers, Florida, receives federal grant funding as a prime recipient for airport infrastructure modernization and operations, with no prime federal contract footprint. The authority operates as a child entity of the State of Florida and works almost exclusively with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) under the Airport Improvement Program (CFDA 20.106) and related programs.

Lee County Port Authority's recent grant work centers on phased expansion and rehabilitation of Southwest Florida International Airport. Representative projects include a $33.3 million design-phase grant awarded September 2024 for terminal expansion, taxiway construction, apron expansion, and terminal access road improvements; a $15.77 million Phase 3 grant awarded May 2025 for a 56,000-square-yard apron expansion under CFDA 20.106; a $6.5 million May 2026 grant under the Airport Improvement Program (CFDA 20.116) for runway rehabilitation and lighting design; and a $1.66 million June 2026 award under the Airport Infrastructure Grants program (CFDA 20.117) for the second phase of apron expansion. The authority also received grants for terminal boarding bridge construction, taxiway and taxilane reconstruction, aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicle acquisition, and airport master plan updates. COVID-19 relief grants totaling $33.2 million (December 2021) and $4.32 million (December 2021) under CFDA 20.106 supported airport operations, personnel, cleaning, and debt service through 2025.

The FAA's Southern Region dominates the funding landscape, issuing 27 awards, with broader FAA programs accounting for an additional 17 awards. The authority holds 201 prime grants (98% of 206 total awards) spanning airport infrastructure, facilities management, and regional transportation support. Five sub-awards from the State of Florida Division of Emergency Management address debris removal, facility repairs, and security improvements at regional airports. Awards span from 2002 through June 2026, with recent activity showing four awards in 2026 and four in 2025 after a low baseline of one award in 2022. The combined potential value of all 206 awards reaches $672.2 million, with $367.2 million obligated to date (55% of potential). Grant periods typically extend three to four years from award date, with ultimate completion dates clustered between 2027 and 2030, positioning the authority for successive recompetes across multiple infrastructure phases as phases complete.