Applying for improvement grants for the first time in about 20 years has paid off for the Lost Nation Airport.
U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, announced Aug. 28 that the airport received $787,612 in federal funding awarded by the Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration.
Lake County, Ohio, Port and Economic Development Authority Executive Director Mark Rantala called the funding another step forward for the revitalization for the airport.
Of the total awarded, $394,812 will be used for rehabilitation of runway 5/23, which is the longer of the two runways and runs northeast to the southwest. An updated master plan and a wildlife hazard assessment will be funded with the other $382,800.
The grant also requires a 10 percent matching local grant, which will be covered by the Authority through airport operations.
“It takes care of long-needed upgrades to the facility,” Lake County Commissioner Daniel P. Troy said.
The airport, which previously belonged to Willoughby, transferred over to Lake County and the port authority on Oct. 8, 2014.
Willoughby had declined to request FAA airport improvement grants since at least 1996 because receipt of such funding comes with a requirement to keep an airport open for the next 20 years.
Last December, an Automated Weather Observation Station was installed at the airport to help with safety and Rantala said the runway rehabilitation will help further improve that safety.
Rantala said bids and contracts have already “lined up and ready to go” an anticipation of receiving the funding and is expecting the runway repairs to be completed in October.
The master plan is expected to take longer, several years, and will be the first time the plans have been updated since 1999.
Source: http://www.news-herald.com
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