SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. (KGUN) — The City of Sierra Vista released its master plan for the municipal airport. While it's not a guarantee all of what's in it will get done over the next few years, the city has put more thought into what the airport can be used for.
Earlier this summer, BlackStar Orbital signed their lease at the Sierra Vista Municipal Airport. The company is planning to create a spaceport at the airport, creating a facility to clean up satellites that return so they can go back to space. Tony Boone, Tourism and Economic Development director for the City of Sierra Vista, says this is the beginning of bringing more space industry to southeastern Arizona.
"It's moving at a fairly quick pace, but I mean, you don't necessarily see the changes,” he said. “It's kind of the point where they're not waiting on the city, so they've been given their permits. We're working through the electrical, so they're working through the utility connections at this point. They've got an electrician, and then we'll kind of work our way through that one.
"So really, they're ready to go, from our perspective, that they can occupy and bring their field office to the airport. ”
BlackStar Orbital is investing more than $7 million into their facility in Sierra Vista. Boone says this will help bring more high-paying jobs to the area.
"It just never really had an economic engine on the municipal side," he said. "So as you look to BlackStar, and you kind of look into the future, the spaceport; the reentry side; additional tenants and additional users; they provide jobs and economic impact to Sierra Vista that we just haven't seen before.”
BlackStar Orbital currently has its field office set up at the airport, but can’t do any landings until the city gets a permit from the Federal Aviation Administration. Boone says the city is in the pre-application phase and is hoping to submit the application next month. He says this is a 24-to 36-month process.
"We've got plenty of land to support Blackstar Orbital in the next 2 to 3 years in their planning cycle,” Boone said.
The city is working to acquire 203 acres to allow more businesses to lease space on the north side of the airport.
"Really, the focus has been the municipal airport, and jobs and economic growth that this airport, potentially could do,” Boone said.
In the short-term, the city is working on redoing the asphalt near the hangars and on the east side of the airport. The city is using a $600,000 grant from the FAA and the Arizona Department of Transportation to pay for it. They say this was something locals have been asking for.
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Alexis Ramanjulu is a reporter in Cochise County for KGUN 9. She began her journalism career reporting for the Herald/Review in Sierra Vista, which she also calls home. Share your story ideas with Alexis by emailing alexis.ramanjulu@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook.
