JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Documents obtained Thursday by News4JAX reveal that various concrete deterioration issues in both the daily and hourly parking garages were addressed by Jacksonville International Airport with significant structural repairs between 2019 and 2024.
Now, the hourly garage faces another major repair project after a massive fire caused a partial collapse and damaged nearly 50 cars inside last month.
The cause of that fire is under investigation by both the ATF and the Jacksonville Airport Authority’s insurance company, but structural engineer Dr. Mark Kilgore said no one could have predicted what happened on May 16.
It’s believed it will cost at least $38 million and take at least 18 months to repair the damage to the garage, which included a partial collapse on the third floor where the fire began.
RELATED: At least $38 million, 18 months to repair hourly garage at Jacksonville airport after massive fire
Jacksonville Aviation Authority spokesperson Greg Willis confirmed that necessary repairs flagged in recent inspection reports of the garages “were completed over the course of two construction projects between April 2019 and December 2024.”
A 2022 assessment had highlighted several areas requiring attention:
- Concrete spalling on upper garage levels
- Ground-level slab cracking between joints
- Frame cracking on the second level of both garages
Spalling, a condition where concrete deteriorates through chipping, peeling, or pitting, was among the primary issues addressed.
Despite being miles from the ocean, Jacksonville International Airport’s location still poses challenges for concrete maintenance.
Kilgore, with Probe Forensic Engineering, explained that the region’s salt-laden atmosphere contributes to structural wear.
“The concrete will develop some spider cracking, just from the everyday loading of the concrete and unloading of the concrete,” Kilgore said. “As that continues, this salt-laden atmosphere works its way into the concrete and starts attacking the steel rebar that was put in place at the time of the construction. When the salt, air, and moisture come into contact with the steel, it starts a corrosion process.”
Kilgore said once the garage is repaired, it should be safe to use.
“The state of Florida is very, very concerned about structural collapse, as we all know from the Surfside catastrophe four years ago, and there is a raised awareness of this situation in Florida,” Kilgore said. “And the engineering board and the state of Florida have, in my opinion, have stepped up to the plate [to] make sure the best of their ability that this is not going that Surfside is not going to happen again.”
News4JAX also contacted the Jacksonville Aviation Authority about sprinklers in the hourly garage and if there are plans to include those in the new design plan.
They shared that the current Florida building code doesn’t require sprinklers in an open-air garage and that a sprinkler system is not currently in the design plan for the new build for that same reason.
When asked about the addition of sprinklers to the hourly garage, JAA said that they are still in the process of removing vehicles and stabilizing the affected areas structurally, and plans for a long-term redesign have not yet been finalized.