Palm Beach County Opens Bidding on Jeff Greene's Airport Land

Palm Beach County commissioners have turned away billionaire developer Jeff Greene’s bid to acquire roughly 131 acres of county-owned land next to North County Airport without competition, voting instead to open the parcel to other developers and aviation companies through a formal solicitation process.

Greene’s entity, Jet Greene LLC, had proposed buying the land near the general aviation airport in northern Palm Beach County to build a second private aviation facility, with hangars, fueling infrastructure and lounges, and to help fund future airport improvements. Supporters framed the project as a release valve for congestion at nearby Trump International Airport. Commissioners were not persuaded to hand Greene the deal outright.

Why it matters

The vote signals Palm Beach County intends to treat its airport-adjacent land as a competitive asset rather than negotiate privately with a single, high-profile bidder, even one as prominent as Greene, who separately has a 25-story residential tower proposed in downtown West Palm Beach. Commissioner Maria Marino told WPTV that “what Jet Green has brought to the table is a starting point,” signaling the county wants the idea, not necessarily Greene’s company, to move forward. Rival aviation firms Sky Harbour and LuftCar both signaled interest in competing once bidding opens, according to WPTV.

The numbers

Jet Greene LLC’s proposal centered on 131 acres at North County Airport, also known as F45. Commissioners voted unanimously to reject the sole-source arrangement and direct county staff to design a competitive RFP process instead, per WPTV’s reporting. No purchase price or lease terms for the land have been made public.

What’s next

County staff will now draft a competitive solicitation for the 131-acre site, opening the door to other private aviation operators and eVTOL ventures alongside Greene, who has told reporters he intends to compete for the land under the new process. A timeline for the RFP has not been set. Nearby residents, including one quoted by WPTV, have raised concerns about added traffic rather than aircraft noise as the county weighs proposals.

For more on development activity across the region, see South Florida.