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State to study airport’s economic impact

WILLIAMSTOWN — The Md-Ohio Valley Regional Airport is participating in a statewide economic impact study that will analyze what the airport and its surrounding properties have to offer as an economic boost to the area.

Airport manager Glen Kelly said although he has conducted his own study three times in the past, this is the first time the state announced their own study.

The study will include the properties of the airport and the Wood County Industrial Park.

With the Army National Guard on the property, Kelly said it brings in people who will rent hotel rooms and eat at restaurants in the area, which can have a trickle-down effect.

The runway project will also be included in the study.

“That runway project will be part of our economic impact. It’s going to be something that’s going to influence our state legislature in the future based up on the impacts that come to these communities via the airport,” Kelly said.

This area has everything it needs in order to grow, Kelly said.

“In order to be viable today, you have to have intermodal transportation capabilities. River, rail, interstate and a great airport makes us viable for growth. Having all those resources makes us more viable to a company like Hino and others,” he said.

A possible opportunity for the airport property is the old National Guard Armory Flight Facility.

Although the building needs work, Kelly said they will evaluate to see if they want to demolish or renovate the building and bring it up to code.

“We’ve tried to market the old national guard armory flight facility as a foreign trade zone. I really thought that could be a good incubator,” Kelly said.

In other airport business, it had 82 enplanements in June with a total of 274 for the second quarter.

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