SHARE:
Rebranding
Soaring in America's Seaplane City
Tavares opened an $8.4-million seaplane base and marina in April. |
Seaplanes are everywhere in Tavares. They're painted on the sides of buildings, shaped into mailboxes, even embedded in the city's logo. Most important, they're taking off and landing at the city's $8.4-million seaplane base and marina that opened in April.
Two years ago, Tavares declared itself "America's Seaplane City," a title it trademarked as part of an aggressive economic development effort. Since then, the Lake County city of 13,000 has been attracting attention from seaplane enthusiasts all over the world.
The marketing effort was a big gamble. Local leaders were looking for a way to revitalize the waterfront city's downtown. By the time they honed their vision, the nation was in a deep recession. The city decided to forge ahead with its plans for an 88-slip marina along Lake Dora with harbormaster offices and a retail store, as well as a seaplane-themed children's splash park and a pavilion to host community events that have grown from four a year to 16.
"The result has been incredible from a business perspective." — John Drury, Tavares city administrator |
At least 22 new businesses, including restaurants, have opened downtown in the past three years — thanks, in part, to the city's decision to waive impact fees for the first year. Commercial permits are now outpacing residential — an important factor in a city where the largest employer is the tax-exempt county government, with 800 workers.
"We've been a little bit of an anomaly here," city administrator John Drury says. "During the best economic times, we were not doing well. During the toughest times, we're growing by leaps and bounds."