Despite turbulence, St. George Airport set to take off
Development ยป State loan debacle nearly grounded the ambitious project.
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_12749442
The old St. George airport occupies 274 acres of prime real estate on a bluff overlooking southern Utah's population center. Anderson Development has a contract to develop the property after the new airport opens in 2011 ? without state dollars after a 'bridge loan' engineered by powerful politicans fell through. (RICK EGAN / The Salt Lake Tribune)
In 2011, the old mesa-top airport in St. George is slated to shut down after its bigger, better replacement opens on 1,200 acres five miles southeast of the city's downtown.
The new jet-friendly facility is expected to fling open the region's doors to robust development.
"This is the largest public works project we have ever undertaken," said Marc Mortensen, assistant to St. George City Manager Gary Esplin.
Combined with expanded offerings at Dixie State College, reliable fiber-optics and a world-class health care facility, the airport upgrade puts the city in position for decades of solid growth, Mortensen added...
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