NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson City Manager Kendal Francis is doing as he was directed by the City Council on Tuesday and trying to get a meeting together of stakeholders at the Hutchinson Regional Airport to talk about next steps after hearing from a consultant on a potential business plan for the facility.
"We're trying to schedule a meeting with all the stakeholders," Francis said Friday. "I've kind of tapped a day in my mind. I have my team kind of working through those details. It would be in late May and then we'll have a study session to unpack that a little further."
With the success of the spec building in Hutchinson in drawing additional proposals for business expansion, Hutch Post asked Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce CEO Debra Teufel if the idea of a spec hangar might be something she thought could work.
"It wasn't a surprise to me that is one of the recommendations that came out of the study," Teufel said. "We really do have the potential to draw more aircraft activity here if we have more hangar space. There have been some opportunities over the last few years to work with the FBO at the airport and also work with Midwest Malibu on some expansion opportunities."
It's important as a first step to be sure that the needs of those that are already on the ground here in Hutchinson are met. It seems that both the City Council and the Chamber are interested in making that happen.
"I think taking care of those businesses that are right there on our airport is so important," Teufel said. "One way we take care of them is making sure that people who own planes actually can house their planes on our airport. It seems like a no brainer to me that we would develop some more hangar space, because then, you get more people housing their aircraft here. They are flying out of here, then they are refueling here, that helps our FBO operator, then they are also getting their maintenance done right here. It all goes hand in hand."
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