New Airport Terminal Opens Soon; EMS Facility in October

6/7/13 - Economic development and improved emergency response training and efficiency are the goals of two new buildings at the Livingston County Spencer J. Hardy Airport. Later this month, a new terminal building for airport users and passengers will open, providing a much larger and more user-friendly facility. Built at a cost of $850,000, 95% of the terminal’s cost was paid for using improvement funds from the Federal Aviation Administration. The remaining 5% was split between MDOT and the county, according to Airport Manager Mark Johnson. Among the amenities is a passenger lounge with fireplace, including a beam over the mantle that was relocated from the old terminal building off of Grand River, which was originally built in 1967. It will also include a conference room, lockers and shower facility for pilots and ground crew and space for rental car companies. Johnson said the new terminal provides a first-class facility to welcome people and companies into the county and was much needed as the airport had essentially been re-built in the last 15 years, while the old terminal remained unchanged and outmoded. Johnson said all manner of corporate jet can now use the airport, while local companies often ship their products through as a rapid means of transport. Also shown off yesterday, was the still under-construction Livingston County EMS headquarters, that will also house a team from the University of Michigan Survival Flight, including a hangar for a medical helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft. The $11 million dollar, two-story building uses geo-thermal heating, while providing space for both EMS crews on 24 hour shifts and those on the regular 12 hour shifts. EMS Director Jeff Boyd says the real advantage of the facility is the state-of-the-art training center that they will be able to use to educate as many as 150 students at a time, with the ability to recreate emergency scenarios in real-time. The EMS facility, which is owned by the county and leasing space to Survival Flight, is expected to open in October. (JK)