WEXFORD COUNTY — The Wexford County Airport Authority has broken ground on a new Wexford County Airport community center pavilion that is expected to serve as a hub for community activities and emergency response efforts.
The pavilion is designed to support community engagement and provide space for public safety, education and economic development initiatives, according to information shared during the broadcast.
Airport Director Keith Newell said the facility will play a role during emergencies.
“We want to utilize this airport as an alternate incident command center in auxiliary communications in times of an emergency,” Newell said.
Jennifer Smeltzer, president of the Wexford County Airport Authority, said general aviation airports play a critical role in communities across Northern Michigan.
“General aviation airports are very important to communities like ours, especially in Northern Michigan,” Smeltzer said. “It’s a vital resource, not only for command centers, as Keith had mentioned, but also for agriculture, for manufacturing, for the medical community here.”
The project is expected to be completed in June.