{"id":134587,"date":"2020-08-31T06:46:16","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T11:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=134587"},"modified":"2020-09-01T06:52:46","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T11:52:46","slug":"stakeholders-break-ground-on-1-million-airport-terminal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2020\/08\/31\/stakeholders-break-ground-on-1-million-airport-terminal\/","title":{"rendered":"Ground broken on local airport terminal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

DAVE MOSIER\/<\/strong>independent editor<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This artist’s conception shows an exterior view of the new JL Rice Terminal building being constructed at Walter Hinton Airfield (Van Wert County Regional Airport). photos by Dave Mosier\/Van Wert independent<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The first of two major projects needed to fully enhance the development capabilities of the Van Wert County Regional Airport broke ground on Saturday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A number of airport and development stakeholders, including philanthropist Scott Niswonger and his wife, Nikki, both Van Wert natives, as well as local and state officials, were on hand for a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a new terminal building on the airport\u2019s south side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Airport Authority Board member Fred Fisher acted as emcee for the event, while a number of people, including Niswonger, State Representative Craig Riedel, and Airport Authority Board member Mike Keysor spoke during the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Scott Niswonger spoke of the development benefits of the new terminal.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Keysor spoke first and spoke of the operational benefits and enhancements that would come from a new terminal building, as well as from the other important future need: lengthening of the airport\u2019s main runway from 4,000 to 5,000 feet to allow larger corporate jets to land here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He first talked about the possibilities afforded users of the local airport, especially those disenchanted with the \u201cmass travel mentality\u201d that means going to a big airport where passengers go through TSA security checks, sit in a terminal, and get on a plane, all with a lot of other people. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI think in today\u2019s environment, that\u2019s a real challenging scenario,\u201d Keysor said, adding he can get on a plane in Van Wert and be in St. Louis in two hours without the hassle of TSA or long waits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Having a nice terminal would be a plus for passengers seeking to fly from the local airport to other destinations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airport Manager Steve Bailey noted that the new 4,600-square-foot terminal building, to be named for J.L. Rice, a former airport manager who encouraged youngsters like Niswonger and others back in the 1960s to consider getting their pilot\u2019s license, replaces the current 300-square-foot facility constructed in 1939. Bailey said the new terminal will have a board room, a stand-alone pilot\u2019s lounge, complete with shower and restroom, and a flight training center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be beautiful inside,\u201d he said, noting that local contracting firm Alexander & Bebout will be acting as general contractor for the terminal project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niswonger, who got fundraising started with a challenge a match any dollars raised locally, added that the facility, which will cost more than $1 million when completed sometime next year, is being funded through private donations only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niswonger also noted that he and Rice\u2019s son, Jim, both graduates of Purdue University, are working to get a Purdue Flight Training Center located at the new terminal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt will really be a good day for us when we walk into the terminal building and see a Purdue University Flight School Training Center sign hanging within that building,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Niswonger also talked about the development impact of the airport, especially in conjunction with the industrial megasite north of Van Wert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen people are looking for a fresh site — and certainly we have one on the north side of town — the second or third thing that economic development people are looking for is the airport,\u201d he said, adding that a new terminal and longer runway would be critical to enhancing local development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keysor also talked about the development benefits that would accrue with having a local airport with a new terminal building and a 5,000-square-foot runway, and noted that it would provide a \u201cwelcome door\u201d into the community, while also providing another item needed to grow the community, along with the current hospital expansion project due for completion later this year, and The Landings at Dickinson Farms residential subdivision, where new houses are now being built.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riedel was on hand to provide a commendation from the Ohio House of Representatives for the airport in honor of the project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the speakers, stakeholders in the project grabbed shovels to officially break ground on the new building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Airport stakeholders break ground on the new JL Rice Terminal building.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DAVE MOSIER\/independent editor The first of two major projects needed to fully enhance the development capabilities of the Van Wert County Regional Airport broke ground on Saturday morning. A number of airport and development stakeholders, including philanthropist Scott Niswonger and his wife, Nikki, both Van Wert natives, as well as local and state officials, were […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-134587","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-05 21:12:48","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=134587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/134587\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=134587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=134587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=134587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}