The end of PGS!

[carolwicks]

It's no secret that PGS may not be after March 2013. The airport wants to raise Kevin's lease to an exhorbitant amount forcing him to close. I don't understand their thinking at all. Every week a couple thousand people come to our track to see some really exciting racing. Racers haul from great distances...every class!
The track has never looked better and never been run so professionally! Why would those ppl at the airport want to force us out when PGS is one of the only places in all of Charlotte County where families can have fun at a very reasonable price? Not to mention the businesses in the area PGS helps to support.
I am too old and ill to organize a huge group but hopefully someone can get together all of the ppl who run the track, as many fans as possible and as many racers as possible and march to the airport and the county and city and demand fairness...Racers who live far can write letters! You love the track so you can help too...
They allowed Kevin to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to fix all the problems at PGS and then kick him in a bad place. They want about $10K a month for the lease. If the track that pays them a reasonable amount every month is gone they get $Z~E~R~O... How much will they get for empty land?
Most of us at PGS have become like family. We have watched little tots become adults ..We have been to weddings, funerals, birthdays and many other events. I hate the thought of losing this... So many wonderful friends we may never see again.
So that's the story in a nutshell. If we want PGS to stay then we need to make that known to the airport, the city of PG and the entire Charlotte County! We need a massive support group and we need it SOON!
Thank you for your time.
Carol Wicks
Something else i forgot to mention... because of our race track many kids who would have gone astray have been given a chance to learn trades...to be part of race teams. They have turned out to be productive decent adults! Many of our kids have spent countless hours with their dads!!! more than most kids ...Surely thats a plus for PGS!

[Boneman]

That certainly is disturbing news. I made two trips to race there in 2012 and loved it, despite the long haul. I also noticed the facilities were in great shape, and the whole experience was very positive for my team.

You are right Carol: racing keeps us out of trouble. Maybe we'll get in trouble at the track, but that is nothing compared to the legal problems that kids get into when they are not driven to engage in something that is positive like racing. It is a benefit to kids and families from our sport that is seldom recognized, and will always be completely overlooked by government at all levels.

What address do we need to write to?

[carolwicks]

Rex...

will gather all the info i can. right now trying to motivate ppl to do something before its too late. post as much as you can on FB too. We need to get in touch with the airport, the city of PG and Charlotte County. Thank you... ;-)
Carol Wicks
P.S.
Important to let them know you and your family stayed at local hotels and ate at local restaurants. Gassed up your vehicles... every place you spent money while you were here. ;-) Robert made a good point too. all the tolls the haulers and visitors from afar pay!

[chevyj31]

I do not want to see the track close, but I do find it very odd, that out of the blue they want to jack the rent up on the guy?? I would like to hear there side of the story, on why the big rent increase?

[carolwicks]

Not sure...

it seems they have found the property values have gone up since the new useless road went in so they feel justified to increase his lease double! I think thats their justification.
the race track provides income to ALOT of ppl and supports ALOT of local business. We do more for them then they do for the county!

[chevyj31]

Any time most people rent commericial property, and they are going to sink a ton of money into it they get 5 year extention options. Like I said, I want the track to stay, I love going there to watch, but I would not have leased the place with out at least a few 5 year options. I am afraid if the lease is up, you are right, they are going to try and get as much money as possible. Look at what yoyo is paying up in st pete.

[jason]

We need to find out.

The airport authority says that it is not them raising the price. They say that it's the federal government raising the lease. HMMMM? Why now! Why did they not raise it 8 to 18 years ago when the economy was great, that would be a lot more believable. They say fair market value. So who is the person behind the desk that is not even part of our community making theses decisions. That is what we need to find out. So who do we have to go to other than The Punta Gorda Airport Port Authority. There has to be someone else cause it sounds like to me that there is a higher power at work here, so lets find out who it is cause it sounds like to me that someone else is pulling the strings. Yes I know it sound like some crazy conspiracy theory but they are the ones that are saying, IT'S NOT THEM! THEN WHO IS IT! The Faa? Who knows. Does anyone know what the other tenants around the airport are paying? We should it's public record, Do you hear about any of them having there lease raise because of fair market value. It's time to find out! and time for all of us stand up and question authority. Can someone tell me were you can get full transcripts of all the Airport meetings.

[sport603]

Just trying to think outside the box, but what about investments by another company. What I am getting at is to approach a company like Mosaic. They have been.doing a lot down that way and to have them back the track financially could be win win. They could have the track named Mosaic's Punta Gorda speedway good pr for them by saving a long time tradition, and a lot of jobs. Now is the time to seek them out because they are going south and have to deal with a lot of negative publicity of late. Just a thought but all they can say is no. They have been sponsoring tournament boats during redfish tournaments on Charlotte Harbor. I would put a packaged together for.a.presentation and see how it goes. They have been very good about investing in the local economy. No i do not work for Mosaic but for a competitor of theirs.

[Jessica33]

Airport Contact Info

Website: http://www.flypgd.com/

Address: 28000 A-1 Airport Road Punta Gorda, FL 33982

Phone: 941-639-1101

Fax: 941-639-4792

Commissioners:
District 1
Pam Seay
pseay@flypgd.com

District 2
Don Lee
dlee@flypgd.com

District 3
Paul Andrews
pandrews@flypgd.com

District 4
Kathleen Coppola
kcoppola@flypgd.com

District 5
James W. Herston
jherston@flypgd.com