JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Plans for Spaceport Camden are moving along with the help of private companies.
"This is a once in a generation opportunity that'll inspire the next generation of scientists, explorers and engineers," said Camden County Administrator Steve Howard.
According to Howard, several private companies are interested in the project. Spearhead Capital Advisors is a top contender, he said.
"They align nicely with, again, that public private vision that was always there," Howard said.
Spearhead Capital is holding a workshop on April 7 at 5 p.m. to talk about Spaceport Camden. It will take place on the second floor of the Government Services Complex on East Fourth Street in Woodbine and is open to the public.
Howard said representatives from the company have been to Camden multiple times, and said county leaders have been working with them for several months. He said they're interested in other projects too.
"This has never been just about the Spaceport. The Spaceport is a catalyst, is a magnet that drives other innovation opportunities that inspires the next generation. The R and D, research and development, STEM programs, all those things are what excites us and excites them as well," he said.
"So, I think you're going see a high level interest from them not only just in the Camden project, but other projects not related to Spaceport. I think they have some interest in that as well, carrying this out, which would become the silicon Marsh of the Southeast," Howard said.
This comes after the majority of voters rejected a plan earlier this month for the county to buy the land to build the Spaceport. Howard said there's a silent majority who want the project, and he has received calls from them.
"Even on that ballot issue, they said, 'Hey, we didn't say that we didn't want it. We want to see more private sector involvement,'" Howard said.
Not everyone sees this next chapter that way, however.
"They are not listening to the voters," St. Marys City Councilman, Jim Goodman, said. "We have said no, we don't want this Spaceport in this particular place at this particular time," he said.
Goodman is also running for Camden County Commissioner.
Opponents say cleaning decades of pollution from the proposed site will cost millions.
"The biggest issue is a hazardous landfill, which we'd never take ownership of that. So, again, very little property would actually be developed. A lot of it would be put back, you know, in conservation. There'll be a habitat specie plan," Howard said.
The county has already spent more than $10 million on the project.
First Coast News asked Howard if any tax payer dollars would be spent in this partnership.
"The goal, again, was always of the Board of Commissioners to leverage the investment of today, the public private partnerships. I think we need to we need to hear from them [the private companies]. I don't want to speak on their behalf," Howard said.
"I think we just got to listen to what, you know, what Spearhead Capital Advisors are saying, what their thoughts are. My understanding, from my discussions with them, there's a potential opportunity of creating a fund that would build out the Spaceport and other things potentially in this community at no taxpayer dollars," he said.
The commissioners haven't decided on which private company to go with yet, Howard said, and they don't have a timeline.