According to The Kennett Paper, Federal and State Grant money is being handed out and our own local New Garden Airport (Chester County) is one of the lucky recipients. Pennsylvania's Governor, Ed Rendell made the announcement at the end of March. Composed of various taxes and fees, the Federal Aviation Administration awards these grants to eligible projects.
The assistance will total $13.8 million and will provide needed funds to get an easement for their existing runway, while providing a new extension for their current taxiway. This will be a huge safety upgrade for an airport that serves our community. Although New Garden received the larger chunk of change, both the Chester County Airport and Brandywine Airport will also benefit on a smaller scale.
My hope is that this funding will boost both the airport and our local economy in the same rite. Construction and excavation means people working and money being made. Growth is
essential for the Kennett Square and Avondale Regions to be viable contenders in business and industry throughout Pennsylvania and beyond our borders.
From what I have learned in my nine years of living here, the Kennett/Avondale region has undergone multiple waves of transformation, and I see a new one cresting with projects like these as well as the retail industry expansion that we have seen in the last year. How soon it arrives in this area will depend on economic conditions, the Real Estate Industry and the stimuli for change exhibited by our business community.
