Photo | Courtesy of City of Gardner
Michael Nicholson, mayor, City of Gardner
January 25, 2024
Gardner Airport cuts ribbon on $5M reopening
Image | Courtesy of Google Maps
Gardner Municipal Airport
A delegation of federal, state and local officials met Tuesday to celebrate the reopening of the Gardner Municipal Airport, following a renovation of the facility supported by more than $5 million in federal funds.
Federal funds were used by the airport, which is owned by the City of Gardner but located in neighboring Templeton, to make major improvements to its infrastructure. The interior of the airport’s administrative building was renovated, and the runway was excavated and fully replaced with a new asphalt runway, preventing a situation where the airport could have faced potential closure as a result of cracks in the runway surface.
“We have done a lot in the last three years to invest in our infrastructure in Gardner, and this continues that work. We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to have all of our facilities, including our airport, operating at maximum efficiency,” Gardner Mayor Michael Nicholson, said in a press release issued Tuesday. “That means being diligent about its upkeep, proactive in our investments in its future and how we can expand the services we provide to its patrons, and cognizant of opportunities for federal and state funding when they become available.”
The bulk of the $5.05 million in federal funds were a result of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden in November 2021.
“I’m proud of the over $5 million in federal investments in long overdue runway reconstruction, masterplan development, and administrative building renovations,” Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-Lowell) said in a press release issued on her website on Tuesday. “The re-opening of the Gardner Airport will undoubtedly drive tourism, stimulate the local economy, and create more jobs. I’m grateful to Mayor Nicholson and our local partners for their commitment to leveraging federal funds to invest in infrastructure and economic development initiatives, and I’m confident Gardner families will feel these investments for years to come.”
Following the renovations, the airport reopened for traffic on Dec. 20. It averaged 85 flights a week during the 12-month period ending on April 13, 2023, according to Federal Aviation Administration data, with nine single-engine aircraft being based at the facility.
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