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Cargo Airport Planned for Hazleton Area
Wednesday, January 31, UPDATED: 10:25 p.m.
By Jon Meyer and Brandie Meng
An investment group announced plans to build a cargo airport near Hazleton in Luzerne County. They say the project will create thousands of jobs and pump billions of dollars into the local economy.
Gladstone Partners, LP, a private investment firm, announced its plans for the cargo airport during a Wednesday afternoon news conference at the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazle Township. The project has been talked about for at least 10 years. The Luzerne County Commissioners are on board with the plan to make the area a worldwide shipping hub.
"One swing of the bat, it wipes out 30 to 50 years we've struggled to identify ourself due to the loss of the coal industry," said majority commissioner Greg Skrepenak.
The county commissioners are teaming up with Gladstone and the state to seek federal approval plus private and public money to build the airport at the Humboldt Industrial Park. They say the airport alone will create 4,500 jobs, 161,000 related jobs and a $17.1 billion boost to the area economy.
"I think it was a dream a year ago," said Bob Powell of Gladstone Partners, LP. "I think where we are now, with the overwhelming response , I think it's far more than a dream now."
Now, the quest for approval and cash to build the airport is in full force. The cost for construction is $1 .6 billion.
Many who live at Eagle Rock Resort across the street have concerns about all the planes.
"They'll come down pretty low. If they're perpendicular, I think it'll be a problem because it's so quiet here," said John McCarrie.
The airport would go on land that's currently leased by Paragon Adventure Park, an ATV recreation area. It's owner, Kyle Knosp, is in a legal battle, fighting his eviction.
"In my business background, I would have never gone about it this way," Knosp said. "Here, I have a great project, it's going to be great. I would have tried to work with everyone involved instead of going about in the most aggressive fashion possible."
At a hearing in Luzerne County Court Wednesday afternoon, a judge decided that Paragon violated its lease of the land. He ordered Paragon to be off the property by Monday. Knosp tells Newswatch 16 that he will comply with the judge's order, but plans to appeal.
