Business View Magazine l November 2022

239 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 Ridgeland-Claude Dean Airport (3J1) in Jasper County is an airport that is on the verge of greatness. As a result of the $23 million already spent and the additional $6 million scheduled to be spent, the airport will become a full-service professional airport. Jasper County is basically building a new airport on the campus of the old airport, according to Development Services Division Director and Acting Airport Manager Danny Lucas. Phases 1 - 4 included a 215-acre land purchase, construction of a new runway and parallel taxiway, construction of a new 84,000 square- foot jet ramp, construction of a 32-stall parking lot and laying the groundwork literally and figuratively for new facilities. In 2020, the new 4,200-foot runway and parallel taxiway were opened. The former 2,672-foot runway was turned into a taxiway. Already there are plans underway to extend the new runway another 1,200 feet, although Lucas admits that the extension is a number of years away. A modular temporary terminal/fixed base operation (FBO) has opened. Furniture and fixtures have also been installed. “We are in the latter stages of the design of the permanent terminal/FBO,” said Lucas. “We are in Phase 5 now,” said Lucas. That includes installation of an Automated Weather Observation Station, creation of a permanent terminal / fixed base operation, an instrument landing system, building 12-unit T-hangars, and SOUTHERN CAROL INA ALL I ANCE