The multi-million dollar expansion of Bomardier at the North Central West Virginia Airport may not be the only high-priced project taking place at the facility in the near future. If all goes as planned, a private-public partnership could see a bevy of new hangars built at the complex.

 

On Wednesday, Ron Eagle, who was representing what he said was a group of investors, broke down the early part of a plan that include the building of several box hangars at the airport. The hangars would be built on land leased to it by the NCWV Airport on property near Fairmont State University on the side of the runway opposite of the terminal building.

 

The announcement of a possible project comes on the heels of the Nov. 15 announcement of Bombardier's expansion. That expansion is expected to create up to 300 jobs and be in the tens of millions of dollars.

 

The issue came up during the monthly meeting of the Benedum Airport Authority, the board that oversees the airport. Eagle, who is president of HQ Aero in Bridgeport, explained the project.

 

“The idea is to accommodate the t-hangar space that will be missing once the Bombardier project starts,” said Eagle. “ … We would like to put the proposition on the table to build to accommodate what’s currently in existence looking for hangar space and grow from that point on.”

 

Eagle indicated that the investors involved are willing to go “full scale” and have the capability to do so. However, he said before doing that his investors would prefer to “build to suit” to those who immediately want a hangar as opposed to building hangars and then trying to build them.

 

At last month’s meeting of the Authority, President Ron Watson and others talked about the project. Watson said at that time that as many as 80 hangars could result from that. Although specific numbers and a cost of investment weren’t discussed publicly, Eagle said he and his investors would like to move ahead with the project if feasible.

 

Eagle requested a list of those on the airport’s “waiting list” seeking hangar space. He also said the hangars would not necessarily be uniform in size. That led member Randy Kerns to suggest that if not uniform in size that the project should be uniform in appearance.

 

Other concerns listed by Eagle focused on parking to access the hangars in the future as security issues increase, whether wetlands existed, the current taxiway’s condition in the area, and the need to remove or relocate utilities in the proposed construction site.

 

Members of the Authority did not have too many issues with the proposal. Kerns, who has substantial aviation experience, liked what he saw for the most part.

 

“Conceptually, this makes sense for the airport,” said Kerns.

 

Watson said it would also take the airport out of the hangar business on that side of the runway. The airport still would maintain hangars on the terminal side of the complex. Watson added that he’d like to see the process move ahead.

 

“We’re open and at the table,” said Watson.

 

No timetable was given on when Eagle would like to see the project start. He said that he and his investors and still looking at companies that would provide for constructing the hangars and coming up with costs there before moving forward. He also needed to see the waiting list and contact individuals interested. That request was granted as Authority Counsel Dean Ramsey did not believe there was a privacy expectation violation on that front.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Ron Eagle, left, addressing the Authority as NCWV Airport Director Rick Rock is to the right. Middle photo shows Authority member Randy Kerns addressing his concerns, while bottom photo shows Authority Counsel Dean Ramsey with Authority member David Hinkle in the background.