May 14—With a picturesque sky as the backdrop, construction crews could be seen working on the new terminal at the Saratoga County Airport in Milton Tuesday as state and local officials highlighted the $32.5 million project.
"Our airport is a tremendous gateway for the entire county and provides business and leisure travelers with their first impression of Saratoga County in many ways," said Phil Barrett, chairman of the county Board of Supervisors.
He said the new facility will only enhance travelers' experience.
The new terminal will include space for a car rental agency, restaurant, passenger waiting areas, a conference/training room, suite for pilots and offices for the operator that the county uses to lease out hangars. There will also be a 20,000-square-foot hangar large enough to fit two corporate jets. That terminal will also include geothermal wells for heating and cooling, and electric vehicle chargers and solar panels on the hangar. There will also be a car display through a partnership with the Saratoga Automobile Museum.
The state awarded the county $27 million in September 2022 through the Upstate Airport Economic Development and Revitalization competition.
Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez called the investment into the airport "fundamentally transformative."
The airport which was built in 1943 deals with private aircrafts using two runways. Dominguez said being able to provide for that clientele is important.
"So whether you're coming to the nanotech facility in Albany, or if you're coming up here to Global Foundries, GE, we've got the facilities to help facilitate your trip in and out and your transportation," she said. "We have the infrastructure in place, and it's ready to go and it's state of the art."
The Federal Aviation Administration provided around $2 million in funds and the county picked up the rest, according to Barrett.
Milton Town Supervisor Scott Ostrander called the project "a shot in the arm" for the town, with the hope, he said, of it leading to more economic development.
"People are going to come here, we're going to get more influx of people coming here to the restaurant, they're going to be flying into the airport," he said. "They're going to be spending money in our town."
Barrett said construction will continue through 2024 on the new terminal and the apron is expected to be completed later this year. The terminal is expected to be fully complete before the county is expected to play host to the Belmont Stakes Racing Festival again in June 2025.
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