The Groundbreaking ceremony for the new Centre-Piedmont-Cherokee County Regional Airport took place in 2003, with the official Dedication ceremony being held in mid-October of 2010 and as of this date in mid-November of 2013 – the facility is still without a working fuel system. 

There was a concerted effort made by many community leaders both local and statewide to bring that project from the “What if” stage to a reality – with both Representative Richard Lindsey and Congressman Mike Rogers playing vital roles – in what would certainly provide a dramatic boost to the economy of Cherokee County.

However, that much-anticipated “boost” has yet to materialize – due to the lack of an operational fuel system.

At least a portion of the problem apparently lies in the relationship between the contractor, which is Harley McGatha Construction, and sub-contractor M&W Equipment out of Huntsville, who was hired to do the design.

On Monday we spoke with Cherokee County Probate Judge Kirk Day regarding the situation and he shared this with us:

A Garver Engineering representative summed up where things stand, in this statement during the November 7th meeting of the Airport Authority:

We are presently attempting to obtain a copy of that report from the Fire Marshal’s Office.

Luanne Hayes, with the Airport Authority – recently issued this statement in regard to the issue – (quote) “The Airport Authority is diligently working towards the opening of a quality facility to serve the traveling, public.  We are currently pursuing approval by the Department of Weights & Measures to be able to handle the retail sale of fuel and we are awaiting analysis by the State Fire Marshal for the system’s compliance with code.” (end-quote).

We’ll have more on this story as it continues to develop.