Cuyahoga County Airport Poised to Land Headquarters, Flight Operations Center for Luxury Jet Company

CLEVELAND, Ohio — A Cuyahoga County Council committee on Wednesday approved a 20-year-plus lease with FlexJet that would allow the private luxury jet company to build a corporate headquarters and flight operations facility at the Cuyahoga County Airport in Richmond Heights.

Under the terms of the lease, expected to be considered Tuesday by the full council, FlexJet would pay the county $11 million over the next two decades. The agreement also includes two 10-year renewal options for an additional $15 million.

The project is expected to bring 200 new jobs to the area, according to county records.

The agreement with the county covers FlexJet’s lease of the property, as well as fuel fees and other related costs, Property Management Administrator John Myers told the committee.

FlexJet will pay for construction of the facilities, which are expected to take 18 months to complete, said Jay Heublein, Flexjet’s executive director of strategy.

The city of Richmond Heights signed off last fall on site plans for the project. The futuristic design for the operations center was described by architect Richard Hebard at the time as evoking a “sense of aviation,” with “wings” spreading out from a three-tiered central structure.

Mayor David Roche on Wednesday said Richmond Heights is excited by FlexJet’s decision to make a major investment in the city, as it is one of its largest employers.

FlexJet, a 25-year-old firm, has its current headquarters at the county airport. It offers fractional jet ownership, jet leasing and other private jet services.

The company has a $2.5 billion portfolio, with offices throughout the U.S. and in Europe, Heublein told city officials last year.

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