Roanoke Rapids City Council Tuesday approved an amendment which will allow long-term leases at the Halifax-Northampton Regional Airport – a proposal which could lead to a commercial hangar and maintenance shop there.
The airport authority will also seek an endorsement from the Northampton County Board of Commissioners.
Halifax County commissioners approved the amendment at their Monday evening meeting. The proposed amendment will then be passed on to the area’s state legislative delegation.
Airport Authority Chairman Ralph Johnson told the council Michael Overton wants to set up a maintenance shop, paint shop and avionics shop at the airport. “That’s a big investment – close to a quarter million dollars for a building he wants to have and invest in the community.”
Johnson said a 25-year lease as it stands now is a very short timeframe for that type of investment. “The FAA says that an airport should have maybe 50 years and what we’re looking at ourselves and what this individual is looking at is a lease agreement for maybe 40 years and maybe a 10-year extension at the end.”
Assistant Halifax County Manager Christina Wells told the council the enabling legislation for what was the Halifax-Roanoke Rapids Airport Authority was completed in 1997. “We have gone through a few iterations not only of the actual authority but of the airport itself since 1997 and has grown into a much more modern facility.”
Wells said the way the airport is able to grow and develop is primarily through hangar and land leases. “We have on the table a potential lease for our first commercial land lease.”
Currently the airport has three land leases for private hangars which are larger than the ones the airport has constructed. “The investment on such an endeavor is quite significant so a lease of a longer period of time as compared to what we had in 1997 is definitely warranted so this individual feels he has more time for his return on investment.”
Councilman Wayne Smith made the motion to approve the amendment on a second by Sandra Bryant.
Premier Boulevard office suite
In another matter Planning and Development Director David Wise told the council the office suite under construction off Premier Boulevard between Starbucks and the former Harley-Davidson dealership will contain a Chipotle, Aspen Dental, and an AT&T store. The fourth tenant remains unknown, he said.
Site plans were submitted to the city in the summer.
There will be a 2,400-square-foot building for a restaurant with a drive-through, a retail space of 1,500-square-feet, a retail space of 1,499-square-feet and a 3,525-square-foot space for a dental office.
