Story ID: 
Chicagoland Airport Sees FBO Expansion
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: With major developments at the Gary Jet Center and B.Coleman Aviation, business at Gary/Chicago International Airport is growing
Word Count: 335
Gary/Chicago International Airport has seen recent expansion from its FBOs. Gary Jet Center, which has been in operation at the airport for more than a quarter century, has completed a new 8,300-sq-ft corporate jet terminal, more than doubling the space of the existing structure. It will use the current facility for tenant offices and expansion of the company’s aircraft maintenance department. Construction of the $2.5 million building began in January and finished last week.

On track for LEED Gold certification, the terminal features a 45-seat lobby and offers expansive views of the newly renovated 8,859-foot runway through specially tempered glass that reduces solar heat gain. The building also houses a business center, 12-seat conference room, three crew lounges with quiet and snooze rooms, shower and locker facilities, coffee bar and kitchen/catering area. It adjoins a 40,000-sq-ft LEED Gold hangar, part of the location’s 115,000 sq ft of aircraft storage space. “Gary Jet Center has transformed the FBO ordeal from the routine and expected to a first-class experience from start to finish, for both passengers and crews,” said company president Lynn Eplawy.

Next door, B. Coleman Aviation, the other service provider on the field, expects to open a new 40,000-sq-ft hangar by the end of November, which will bring the four year-old FBO to 90,000 sq ft of heated hangar space, able to accommodate the largest business jets. The company was given a 30-year lease on the 12-acre property, on which the $5 million project was built. Plans call for a further $15 million in development on the parcel, which could include as many as four more hangars. “Our hangars are full," noted company president John Girzadas, adding, "we’re really excited about the additional space and the additional business we’ll bring to the airport.”

The Indiana airport, located less than 30 minutes from downtown Chicago, is also expecting to introduce on-site U.S. Customs and Border Protection service early next year, when it opens a new dedicated facility.