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Board approves sale of 72 acres near Blackstone Army Airfield for aviation industrial development
Summary
Nottoway supervisors voted unanimously to sell about 72 acres adjacent to the Blackstone Army Airfield to the Town of Blackstone for aviation-industrial development at $9,000 per acre, positioning the town and county to pursue state aviation grants tied to town ownership.
The Nottoway County Board of Supervisors voted to sell approximately 72 acres adjacent to the Blackstone Army Airfield to the Town of Blackstone for development restricted to manned or unmanned aviation industrial uses.
Philip Van Norbeck, Blackstone town manager, told the board the town is pursuing aviation-industry growth around the Blackstone Army Airfield, which the state and Federal Aviation Administration have designated for advanced aviation operations; the town has also been identified by Virginia Tech in an eastern-terminus study for long-range unmanned aviation research. Van Norbeck said the town’s long-term relationship with the Virginia Department of Aviation makes town ownership advantageous: in his words, town ownership helps secure Department of Aviation grant funding “not only for the development of the property but also for the actual purchase of the property when we sell it to third parties.” He explained those grant options are not available if the county retains ownership because the airport sponsor (the town) would be the eligible entity for aviation grant funding.
The sale parcel was described in the motion by tax parcel number 43-130 (southeast of Dawes Road and Dominic Corner Road) and the board authorized sale at $9,000 per acre under contract terms including a six-month due-diligence period after contract execution. The board’s motion directed the county administrator to take necessary legal steps to finalize the sale. The motion passed unanimously.
What this means: the county agreed to transfer ownership to the Town of Blackstone to support aviation-industry investment around the airfield; town ownership is intended to increase eligibility for aviation grant funding for both acquisition and future development tied to the airport sponsor relationship.
Speakers and next steps: Town Manager Philip Van Norbeck and Town Council member Chris Page attended and presented the town’s vision. The board’s authorization directs county staff to complete the sale process, including survey and legal steps described in the approved motion.
