Plans for new aviation facility at Beaver County Airport move forward
A new 21st-century aviation facility at the Beaver County Airport is under development by the Community College of Beaver County (CCBC) and the Beaver County Airport (BVI) Authority task force.
The concept went before the Chippewa Township Planning Commission at their May 14 meeting.
“The CCBC/BVI task force came to this shared agreement in the best interest of the county, aviation industry, students, and flight providers,” stated Beaver County Airport Authority Board Chairman Roy Early in a news release. “It was our goal to work together to imagine and build a modern, innovative aviation facility that meets the needs of pilots, air traffic controllers, aerospace managers, and aviation enthusiasts alike.”
At its April public meeting, CCBC’s Board of Trustees accepted the terms for a new Community College of Beaver County and Beaver County Airport Authority land lease. With the leadership and support of the board of commissioners, the county pledged a commitment of $1.4 million towards the project.
“We are very thankful to both Community College of Beaver County’s Board of Trustees and the Beaver County Airport Authority members for having the foresight to move this project one step closer to the finish line,” said Beaver County Board of Commissioners Chairman Daniel Camp. “This project will continue the rich history of our community college’s aviation programming putting young men and women in towers and cockpits across the globe, and by doing so, also place Beaver County’s aviation stamp worldwide.”
There are plans to break ground at the airport for a two-story aviation building that includes shared terminal space, new educational spaces, new sidewalks and parking areas, and a training space.
HDG Architects will lead the project design and John Pappas from Eckles Construction will serve as construction manager.
“From downtown Freedom with classes in old, abandoned buildings, by way of converted hangers at Beaver County Airport, to the current Aviation Sciences Center in Chippewa, and now looking at futuristic new facilities to meet the needs of a demanding industry, today’s announcement is a celebration of the growth and advancements in aviation and aviation training at CCBC,” said Senior Dean of the James M. Johnson School of Aviation Sciences John Higgs.
The United States continues to experience a significant pilot shortage. CCBC has a piloting graduate in the cockpit of every major airline and a controller in every tower in the nation, according to the release.
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