The Schuylkill County/Joe Zerbey Airport is receiving a total of $400,000 in state grants to construct a new hangar as part of a $10 million investment in 10 airports across the state.
"I want to see our airport grow and it has the potential because it is not landlocked," Bill Willard, airport manager, said Thursday.
Gov. Tom Corbett announced a $300,000 grant for Schuylkill County last February. An additional $100,000 was announced Thursday.
Willard said the new hangar will be able to house corporate planes and potentially attract more businesses. Total cost of the hangar is estimated at $800,000, Willard said.
The grants were approved Thursday by the state Transportation Commission. The 15-member commission includes the Transportation secretary, 10 private citizens appointed by the governor and the majority and minority chairs of the state Senate and House Transportation Committees.
Funds are distributed through the Capital Budget/Transportation Assistance Program, which is funded through state capital bond dollars in the General Fund budget. The grants leverage more than $11 million in local matching funds. Authorized by the General Assembly, the grants are administered by the state Department of Transportation's Bureau of Aviation.
"As I outlined in my transportation proposal, a multi-modal transportation system is essential to sustaining and growing our economy," Corbett said. "These investments will enhance safety and improve facilities to ensure that regional needs are met while supporting jobs and the local economy."
Willard said he is still trying to secure state grants to extend the 4,600-foot-long runway at the airport. The airport has been using leftover fill from other construction projects on the campus to reduce the total cost of the extension. Willard said this will reduce cost by a third.
Project preparation is the reason Willard said the state has been awarded grants to Schuylkill County.
"We are one of the airports that has been more shovel-ready and prepared for projects," Willard said. "That's my job - to go to the meetings in Harrisburg and try and secure money for our county. If it doesn't go to our county, it goes somewhere else."
Pennsylvania has 133 public-use airports and heliports, 15 of which have scheduled commercial service.
For more information, visit www.dot.state.pa.us and then click on the "2013 State Transportation Program" button, or call 717-783-8800.