Westmoreland airport authority participates in Pa. development zone program

The Westmoreland County Airport Authority is now included in an economic development program aimed at putting idle airport properties to productive use.

Gov. Josh Shapiro recently announced that the Westmoreland County Airport Authority and the Pittsburgh-Regional Airport in Butler County were first in Pennsylvania to receive designations in the newly enacted Airport Land Development Zone program.

The program provides tax credits to employers that locate and create jobs at designated sites at Pennsylvania airports.

Employers can receive $2,100 per employee working at the Airport Land Development Zone for a period of 10 years, according to a statement released by Shapiro’s administration.

The Westmoreland County Airport Authority enrolled 245.8 acres at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Unity and 50 acres at Rostraver Airport in Rostraver.

During a joint announcement with state Department of Community and Economic Development acting Secretary Rick Siger, Shapiro said the new program encourages airports to market and foster development of their underused land by offering tax incentives.

“Encouraging airports to breathe new life into vacant buildings or develop unused land will create jobs and boost the economy while sending the strong message that Pennsylvania is open for business,” Siger said.

Commercial and non-commercial airports can apply with eligible parcels that are vacant with no business activity as of December 2021.

“This is a great opportunity for airports to join forces with their local communities to bolster the economic development of their regions,” said Gabe Monzo, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority, which operates the Unity and Rostraver township airports.

Efforts to create the new program were headed by the Aviation Council of Pennsylvania, led by Mary Bethea, who said, “It stimulates development on vacant airport land and buildings, and motivates partnerships between airports and developers, resulting in significant new investment, expansion of operations and the creation of new jobs.”

Monzo credited airport engineer Scott Kunselman of McFarland-Johnson with maneuvering the authority’s airports into the program.

“McFarland-Johnson is excited that we were able to work with the authority team to obtain these designations quickly and facilitate future economic development at the Rostraver and Arnold Palmer Regional airports,” Kunselman said.