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Governor also attends grand opening ceremony for The Bridge Sports Complex in Bridgeport
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BRIDGEPORT, WV – Gov. Jim Justice attended a groundbreaking ceremony at North Central West Virginia Airport (CKB) today to celebrate the beginning of work on a historic infrastructure project to enhance the airport itself, while also developing sections of nearby land.
“I congratulate you, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart,” Gov. Justice said. “There’s so much potential here, it is off the charts.”
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Work will begin with crews excavating 3 million cubic yards of earth to make way for 140 acres of flat property east of the existing runway.
The newly-flattened land will be home to a new passenger terminal, auxiliary airport facilities, and a 100-acre AeroTech Business Park.
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The AeroTech Park has the potential to double the economic impact of the airport by providing an additional 1 million square feet of runway-accessible building space.
This major enhancement project at North Central West Virginia Airport would not have been possible without the Governor’s support.
In August 2019, Gov. Justice visited the airport to announce that he had requested $10 million from the West Virginia Infrastructure Jobs Development Council and an additional $10 million in the form of a loan from the West Virginia Economic Development Administration to jump-start the project.
Both funding requests were approved.
“I can’t say enough about this Governor. It’s been almost two years since we went down to Charleston and he took time to meet with us...and we showed him what our vision was, and he took one look at it and said, ‘I’m in,’” Harrison County Commissioner David Hinkle said. “He jumped in with both feet for CKB and central West Virginia, and I just can’t tell you how much this Governor has done for this airport.”
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“At the end of the day, I hope and pray that $20 million will become a drop in the bucket,” Gov. Justice said.
“I’m a business guy. And when this project came to me, I said it has all the markings of something that is going to be incredible for West Virginia,” Gov. Justice continued. “This airport, with the amount of potential growth in this area right here, can absolutely be an engine that takes off like nobody’s business.”
“Since 2013, our airport has experienced tremendous growth,” said Shawn Long, Deputy Airport Director at CKB. “If any of you have traveled this summer or have been to the airport recently, you’ve definitely noticed that our terminal is at capacity and our parking lot is full. This summer, we’re pushing nearly 50 flights a week both in and out of CKB, which is the busiest we have ever seen.
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“Through the support of Governor Justice, believing in this project and supporting it with significant funding, Senator Manchin, Senator Capito, and Congressman McKinley supporting us navigating the various permits and approval processes, the countless hours of work of our team…and, most importantly, the support and buy-in of the community and region in what our airport does, we are able to be here today,” Long continued.
In addition to the funding secured by the Governor, additional funds for the project were provided by Harrison County, Marion County, the City of Bridgeport, and the Benedum Airport Authority.
“All of us needed to be all-in on this project,” Gov. Justice said. “To everyone involved in making this project a reality, I thank all of you for what you are doing right here for West Virginia.”
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Following the event at North Central West Virginia Airport, Gov. Justice made his way to Bridgeport, where he attended a grand opening ceremony for The Bridge Sports Complex; the city’s largest sports and recreation facility.
“This facility is an accomplishment beyond belief,” Gov. Justice said. “I’ve been a coach for forever. I love kids beyond good sense, and what you’re doing right here will stimulate not only the growth and maturing of kids, not only will it give so much opportunity to kids, but it will drive your entire community.
“You will absolutely grow with this and prosper like you can’t imagine.”
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Design work on the $60 million project began in 2017.
The Bridge Sports Complex features state-of-the-art amenities for a variety of sports and fitness activities, including:
- A fitness center, featuring an elevated walking track, cardio equipment, strength equipment, and free weights, with group fitness classes available.
- A nearly 3,500-square-foot indoor turf field for year-round soccer, lacrosse, and flag football, which also includes retractable batting cages with pitching machines for baseball and softball.
- A 10-lane competition swimming pool and a recreational warmup pool.
- Six hardwood courts suitable for basketball, volleyball, and pickleball.
- An indoor “Clip n Climb” area, featuring over 30 indoor climbing walls and complete with an auto-belay system.
The Bridge facility also includes meeting and event spaces, a café and concessions, and an outdoor turf field.
Visit thebridgewv.com to learn more.
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