Airport reports passenger rebound; EREP outlines $92M in state awards and site readiness needs

Nate Hahn, executive director of the Evansville Regional Airport, briefed the County Council on airport operations and capital priorities. Hahn said passenger traffic is up about 25% from last year and within roughly 10% of the airport’s record 2019 numbers. He credited restored service, a larger aircraft on the Chicago route and local ridership for the improvement and said the airport is pursuing federal grants for a baggage handling replacement, a backup generator and airfield taxiway work.

Hahn also described parking and solar canopy planning: covered solar parking has been popular, and staff are pursuing expansion although state net‑metering rules make future projects more complicated.

Patrick Hickey of the Evansville Regional Economic Partnership (EREP) presented on the partnership’s recent work, saying EREP has secured about $92 million in state REDI awards since 2021 that the group says have leveraged roughly a 7:1 return in construction investment. Hickey described recent projects, including the Nest at Red Bank (a $3.4 million Ready! award leveraged to $17 million of investment) and regional arts and culture proposals under consideration for Lilly Endowment funding.

Hickey said EREP is engaged with multiple potential investment prospects—some representing hundreds of millions in proposed investment—and stressed the county’s most attractive industrial site needs approximately $3.5 million in road improvements and a sewer extension (roughly $250,000) to be competitive. Council members asked about how the county’s $300,000 annual appropriation to EREP is spent; Hickey said he would follow up with a detailed accounting of county‑specific activities and expenditures.

Ending: The council heard both presentations and asked staff for follow‑up: airport and EREP staff will provide additional details on capital plans and a breakdown of EREP activities tied to county funding.