Greenwood-Leflore Airport will be utilizing grant funds in the coming months.
The facility has received two grants from separate agencies, one to help with infrastructure repairs and another for COVID-19 relief.
The first grant, a small municipality and limited population grant, was requested by Carroll County to be administered the North Central Planning and Development District to help repair County Road 185, also known as Airport Road.
Angela Curry, the executive director of the Greenwood-Leflore-Carroll Economic Development Foundation, said this repair is very important to the community.
“That airport is an asset for us,” Curry said. “We have some very attractive businesses out there, and if we are going to recruit additional businesses, having adequate access is important.”
According to Curry, the total project cost is $165,000, and the grant funds will cover $137,500 of the cost. The remaining cost will be split between the city of Greenwood, Leflore County and an economic development partner, Cooperative Energy/Delta Electric.
The airport is in Carroll County but managed by the city of Greenwood and Leflore County.
“This project is probably a small part to some larger developments that we would like to do at the airport.” Curry said.
The second grant comes from the Federal Aviation Administration as a part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act.
This grant program, among other things, helps public airports throughout the country handle the drop in revenue seen during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to Grady Perkins, manager at the Greenwood-Leflore Airport, the grant is for $69,000, which is to be used over the course of four years for the general operating cost of the airport.
“At this point we have not made a specific plan on how this money will be used,” Perkins said. “We do have some projects on the airport we will look at, but none of that’s been closely studied yet.”
• Contact Adam Bakst at 581-7233 or abakst@gwcommonwealth.com. On Twitter @AdamBakst_GWCW
