State and local officials on Saturday formally opened the new terminal at Stafford Regional Airport, calling the $3.4 million facility an important economic development asset for the region.
“This is going to be a gateway to this area,” Speaker of the Virginia House of Delegates Bill Howell said at the invitation-only airport dedication. “This is a great day for Stafford.”
The 10,000-square-foot terminal replaces a triple-wide trailer that for many years served as the airport’s office and lounge.
The new facility features tall ceilings, lounges for customers and pilots, bathrooms, a business center, conference rooms, vending machines, restrooms and administrative offices.
The Stafford Regional Airport Authority financed the project through about $2 million in grants from the Virginia Department of Aviation and a $1.4 million loan from Stafford.
Stafford Board of Supervisors Chairman Jack Cavalier called the $1.4 million loan “money well spent.” He said that investment, coupled with the county’s decision to eliminate the personal property aircraft tax, should help the airport’s development.
Virginia Department of Aviation Director Randy Burdette noted that access to quality airports is important to businesses looking to locate in an area.
West Point-based Curtis Contracting Inc. was the general contractor for the terminal, which was designed by Petersburg-based architecture firm StudioAmmons Inc. and engineered by Chesterfield-based Talbert & Bright Inc.
Robert Randazzo’s Douglas DC–3 plane, which is adorned with the Pan American World Airways logo, was parked outside the new terminal during Saturday’s event and provided the backdrop. Randazzo plans to build a hangar at the airport to house the plane.
A public open house is scheduled at the airport today between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.
By: Bill Freehling, Free Lance Star
