Officials break ground at Salisbury Airport, hoping to see economic growth with new build

SALISBURY, Md. – By next winter, the Salisbury Regional Airport will have a brand-new building, to shield essential equipment from the elements. The new addition costs a pretty penny.

“This is something that’s been in the works for quite a few years now,” said airport director, Tony Rudy.

More than $1 million in equipment will get a new home at the airport. Officials called the groundbreaking of the new building a big leap for the future of Delmarva.

“These things may seem minuscule to some people, but these are big milestones for our airport, and so we want to celebrate them,” said Wicomico County Executive, Julie Giordano.

After going back to the drawing board and re-evaluating funding for several years, Rudy said they were finally able to secure the necessary funding.

“Federally funded, it’s just under $11 million, for the construction portion,” Rudy said.

Overall, Rudy said the new building will help operations run smoother, and someday, the airport may even be able to lend space to other companies, to bring economic growth to the area.

“It makes our operation more efficient [and] more professional,” Rudy said. “It also will open up some of the other facilities, that we can now lease out to people that might have a need.”

And for Giordano, breaking ground on this new build brings the county closer to the economic endgame.

“As a county executive, the airport has been on our radar since day one of being sworn in, and I said from the very beginning that it’s an economic tool, not only for our county, but for our region as well,” Giordano said.