DevelopOhio

Following eight years of discussions, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approved the transfer of Lost Nation Airport from the city of Willoughby to Lake County and the Lake County Ohio Port and Economic Development Authority last October; just one year later, “progress at the airport is going faster than expected,” the News-Herald reports. The FAA recently awarded the airport a grant of $787,612 that will fund the rehabilitation of “the longer of the two runways . . . as well as a new master plan wildlife hazard assessment,” according to the article. An Automated Weather Observation Station was installed soon after the transfer last year, allowing the airport to “track its own weather instead of relying on information from Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland.” Mark Rantala, executive director of the port authority, said there is a “high probability” that more hangars will be added within the next year. Lost Nation Regional Airport Association President Gary Swanson said, “[w]e are very happy that the county commissioners have seen the vision and authorized the Port Authority to oversee the airport. Already we are seeing the results of the Port Authority’s efforts to revitalize this important part of our local economy.” For more, read the full article.