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Council split on applying for state airport grant for new hangar; vote leaves application unresolved
Summary
Council debated applying for a $750,000 ODOT grant (approx. $1.1M project cost) to build a 6,000‑square‑foot hangar at Middletown Regional Airport. Concerns centered on cost, return on investment and whether the hangar footprint could impede future airport economic development; a roll call produced split votes and the application was left without an affirmative decision.
MIDDLETOWN, Ohio — Council members debated an ordinance to authorize the city manager to apply for an Ohio Airport Improvement Program grant to build a 6,000‑square‑foot hangar at Middletown Regional Airport, with the discussion focused on project cost, expected revenue and the potential effect of the hangar footprint on future airport economic development.
Council member West said he opposed spending nearly $1.1 million on a hangar that would house two jets and worried the half‑acre footprint could "handcuff" future opportunities for advanced aviation manufacturing and air‑mobility projects. "I just don't see the return on investment being that lucrative for us," West said during debate.
Airport staff and the airport director defended the application as consistent with the airport master plan, saying the hangar would diversify leasable space (box hangars vs. T‑hangars), create rental revenue, increase fuel sales and help the airport show traffic that could support future FAA discretionary funding. The director said Ohio grant opportunities for new hangars are rare and that the city would need to contribute a local match of roughly $300,000 if awarded the $750,000 ODOT grant toward a roughly $1.1 million estimated construction cost.
Council members pressed staff on commercial considerations such as a marketing plan, wait lists for hangar space and how long it would take to see a financial return. Airport staff estimated rental revenue of roughly $4,000–$5,000 annually and said payback on the local match could take around seven to eight years for rental revenue alone (longer for total project recovery).
During roll call the council produced a split result with two members recorded as "yes," two recorded as "no," and at least one abstention; the clerk summarized the result as "2 for yes and 2 for no" and stated the item "falls on the floor." The vote left the application unresolved; staff said if the city is awarded a grant but the award would not be financially feasible, council could decline at the later acceptance stage but should have a documented reason to preserve future grant relationships.
What happens next: Staff recommended continued strategic planning on airport land availability, a well‑field/environmental analysis for developable parcels and coordination with county and regional partners before final decisions on large capital projects. Councilmembers asked staff to bring more detailed marketing and site‑availability analysis to the February strategic planning session.
Provenance: Discussion begins with the ordinance authorizing application for the ODOT airport grant and continues through the roll call concluding that the motion "falls on the floor."
