Spartanburgโs Amazing Expand: Adding Two New Hangars in Their Downtown Airport
Hey folks from the beautiful city of Spartanburg! We’ve got some exciting news to share with you today. The Spartanburg Downtown Memorial Airport is set to experience some impressive growth. Despite the majority of local flights being channeled through the larger Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, our cozy downtown airport still packs quite a punch when it comes to business importance.
The general purpose airport primarily serves as a haven for private aircraft and cargo planes. In a bid to increase its role in boosting our local economy, the city is planning to build two new hangars at the airport. Doesn’t that sound splendid?
Details of the New Hangars
Spartanburg City Council decided to bid out a $1.35 million contract for the construction of these spanking new hangars. These behemoth structures will cover 11,900 square feet each and reach a height of 26 feet.
Our beloved Mayor Jerome Rice was kind enough to share his views on the addition of these hangars. He noted that augmenting the airportโs capabilities could attract new investments, as big companies often favour smaller airports for their private planes. He believes boosting the airport will financially impact everyone in the county, and that includes us common folk who probably only encounter private planes on the silver screen.
โThe sky’s the limit for people coming into Spartanburg,โ Mayor Rice confidently stated. Isn’t that a wonderful perspective?
Funding for the Project
City Manager Chris Story stepped in to enlighten us that the funding for the construction of the hangars would be sourced from a $5 million grant from the S.C. Department of Commerce. He also added that the grant would finance a project focused on enhancing taxiway operations, allowing the airport to accommodate more business.
Post Construction Plans
Once the hangars are up and ready, the city plans to lease them out to aviation businesses. Airport Director Terry Connorton stated that these businesses could range from aircraft storage and maintenance companies to firms dealing with aircraft upholstery. He explained the demand for hangars is growing saying, “Hangars right now are very big in demand… whether you store them or perform maintenance on them, you have to have hangars.”
The purpose of this extension, according to Connorton, is to support smaller businesses which can then grow and build their own larger hangars. When these businesses outgrow the cityโs hangars, they can be utilized by other upcoming businesses ensuring a constant availability of starter hangars.
Thoughts from the Community
S.C. Senator Josh Kimbrell praised the capacity of Spartanburg’s downtown airport comparing it to many smaller airports. He expressed his enthusiasm for the airport’s future saying, โWe want to see Spartanburg do well,โ adding that they’ll strive to continue bringing more opportunities and money into town.
In conclusion, folks, it seems like the only way is upward for our fair city of Spartanburg. These new hangars represent growth and the prospect of new business opportunities. So next time you pass by the airport, try to envision those hangars standing tall and majestic, because they are our future. See you in the next update!
