Officials to seek help on airport goals
VIENNA — Western Reserve Port Authority will seek help from the Ohio Department of Development on two of the airport’s goals — bringing daily commercial air service back to the airport and encouraging industrial development on airport property.
Today, airport officials and local legislators will talk to the ODOD in Columbus to ask for help coming up with the revenue-guarantee money that will be needed to attract an airline.
Dan Dickten, the airport’s director of aviation, has said the airport needs to offer an airline $2 million per year for two years — money the airline could “draw down” in the event that offering the flights is not self-supporting at first.
Local officials such as State Rep. Sean O’Brien of Brookfield, D-65th, Eric Planey of the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber, and others will participate in person or by conference call, Dickten said.
Meanwhile, Rose Ann DeLeon, executive director or the port authority, whose focus is economic development, announced at today’s port authority meeting that she hopes to apply for money through the fourth and final round of the ODOD’s Jobs Ready Site program.
The port authority would use the funding — up to
$3 million — to prepare a site at the airport for use by an aviation-related or cargo business.
For the complete story, read Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com