With the sting of Spirit Airlines’ abrupt shutdown still fresh, one Broward commissioner is looking to the carrier’s headquarters as an opportunity for local government.
County Commissioner Michael Udine has placed an item on next week’s budget workshop agenda to consider a liquidation sale purchase of Spirit headquarters, an 11-acre site off Interstate 95 in Dania Beach.
The Broward County Commission is deep into considering a move from its current administration building on the corner of Andrews Avenue and Southeast Second Street. Cost estimates for relocation run into the hundreds of millions, but it’s not known whether the purchase of the Spirit site will save the county money, or how much.
Udine acknowledged that his idea was in its earliest stage, and there’s no way to know whether the county will even be in the running to purchase the property.
“I think it’s something we should at least look at,” Udine said. “The county will probably be a creditor in the bankruptcy court to begin with. Something like this could end up saving taxpayers a tremendous amount of money. Let’s have a discussion and see where we’re at.”
Spirit eliminated more than 4,800 jobs in South and Central Florida when it ceased operations Saturday, with the job losses concentrated at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, the company’s headquarters in Dania Beach, Miami International Airport, and two sites at Orlando International Airport.
The bankruptcy court will oversee the sale of aircraft, engines and equipment and real estate, including the headquarters. Currently, a small number of Spirit employees are working in the headquarters building as part of the wind-down process.
Rafael Olmeda can be reached at rolmeda@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4457.