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Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics plans to expand at Youngstown Regional
By Ed Runyan
VIENNA
The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics, which has been training aviation mechanics at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport since August 2006, is making plans to expand into a new location on airport property.
The Western Reserve Port Authority on Wednesday approved a resolution allowing Dan Dickten, director of aviation at the airport, to apply to the U.S. Economic Development Administration for $1.6 million to pay half the cost for an access road on the south end of the airport off state Route 193 to serve the facility.
Dickten also is authorized to apply to the Ohio Department of Transportation for a loan to pay the other $1.6 million. The port authority, which runs the airport, will repay the loan, possibly with a low-interest loan, Dickten said.
The cost of the approximately 18,000-square-foot building will be about $2.2 million. It will enable PIA to train more students and employ more people, Dickten said. The school has outgrown the hangar space it rents from the port authority, using a portable trailer, and is running out of parking, Dickten said.
In other business, the board authorized Dickten to enter into negotiations with R.J. Corman Railroad Co. concerning the development of multimodal transloading facilities on or near the airport.
R.J. Corman is in discussions with Norfolk Southern railroad to receive, offload, store and transport solid, liquid and gaseous cargoes by rail or air at or near the airport, Dickten said.
In February, the port authority approved the expenditure of up to $10,000 plus expenses to Hamman Consulting of Cleveland to assist the airport in identifying companies interested in such a project.
That step followed the completion of a $29,500 feasibility study conducted by Silverload Consulting of Cleveland that found that it would be feasible to extend a rail line from the Norfolk Southern rail line near the 84 Lumber yard on state Route 82 in Brookfield Township west to one of two areas of vacant land at the airport.
The board also approved moves to provide more personnel as airport business grows and the airport offers to take over certain maintenance duties on the air field currently done by the 910th Airlift Wing of the U.S. Air Force Reserve.
One change creates the position of airport maintenance supervisor effective Oct. 1 and fills it with Roger Swank, who currently is lead maintenance and operations manager. Two maintenance- and operations-technician positions will be added.
Jack Sullivan, current director of operations and maintenance, is retiring late next year after 42 years with the airport. His position will be abolished.
Other personnel changes include creation of an additional parking attendant position starting in May and upgrading the custodian position to full time when the demand requires it. The changes will add $123,000 to the annual budget.