The Gary/Chicago International Airport kicked off another new investment Tuesday. Officials broke ground on a new 47,000-square-foot hangar, which will be leased to Valparaiso-based Wingtip Aviation.
Wingtip owner Jeromy Montesano said his company decided to expand to Gary, due to the airport's long runway, customs facility and other infrastructure. "Wingtip Aviation currently serves every country in the world," Montesano said. "We fly everywhere in the world with the most high-powered companies and CEOs."
The $12 million hangar is funded by a $1.3 million READI grant from the state, along with local funds generated by the airport.
U.S. Representative Frank Mrvan (D-Highland) said that investment will have ripple effects throughout the Region. "But beyond the tangible outcomes, this development is symbolic of something greater: a revival of Gary, Indiana," Mrvan said. "For too long, our city has faced economic challenges that have hindered our growth and opportunity."
The hangar is expected to create 80 to 100 construction jobs, plus 20 permanent administrative positions.
Gary Mayor Eddie Melton said the airport is the epicenter of the city's economic growth opportunities. "Every community, they can't say that they have an international airport right here in their backyard," Melton noted. "They can't say that they have an airport that has a foreign trade zone in their backyard. They can't say that they have an airport that's adjacent to a deep-water seaport.
The new hangar is scheduled to be operational by May of 2025.
