Finding new and innovative ways to repurpose this facility shows the potential of not just Wilmington, but southwest Ohio when it comes to economic opportunities for our nation’s job creators. We have a vibrant and talented workforce that is ready to get to work and to help companies succeed in this competitive economy.
With an unemployment rate of 14.9 percent, Clinton County has been hit hard by the recession and DHL’s decision to abandon the Wilmington Airpark. I have been working with the Ohio Congressional delegation, and with local and state leaders, to find ways to help revitalize this part of Southwest Ohio. This includes the awarding of a 2008 economic development grant to find new uses for the Wilmington Airpark and my testimony before the House Judiciary Committee opposing the proposed DHL-UPS deal.In March, we received word of the announcement of a $294,000 grant to the Clinton County Port Authority to develop a marketing, redevelopment, and re-use plan for the former DHL Airpark. The grant came from the U.S. Commerce Department’s Economic Development Administration.
A marketing and redevelopment plan will allow the Clinton County Port Authority to determine potential re-use alternatives that will seek to replace the 6,000 jobs lost when DHL ceased operations in January of 2010. Finding new and innovative ways to repurpose this facility shows the potential of not just Wilmington, but southwest Ohio when it comes to economic opportunities for our nation’s job creators. We have a vibrant and talented workforce that is ready to get to work and to help companies succeed in this competitive economy.
This month, I voted for the passage of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization and Reform Act of 2011, which included language to create four new test sites for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). I worked with the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, as well as fellow legislators Reps. Richard Hanna (NY-24) and Rick Berg (ND-AL), to draft the language included in the bill. This bill could benefit Wilmington’s Air Park as sites are selected for the future UAS testing.
Previously, the FAA Reauthorization bill did not authorize new test sites for unmanned planes. Now, thanks to the language I was able to include into this bill, the FAA will have the ability to create four test sites to study the effectiveness of allowing Unmanned Aircraft Systems to share airspace and runways with commercial aircraft. The Wilmington Air Park can make a strong case as a future home for one of these new test sites.
Our community is the birthplace of manned flight, and with this legislation it has the opportunity to be a pioneer in the field of unmanned flight. If passed by the Senate and signed into law by the President, this legislation could greatly expand opportunities for Wilmington’s businesses and workers looking to make their mark in the growing field of unmanned flight. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base has already played an outstanding role in pioneering this system vital to our military. Wilmington’s proximity to Wright-Patt bolsters the argument that is should be considered for one these test sites.
I have also started efforts to find other uses for the Wilmington Air Park. With the existing space and facilities, the air park can be repurposed for other uses. One such use could be as a consolidated distribution facility for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Given the USPS’ budget short falls, they ought to begin to consider infrastructure and transportation systems as a point for increased efficiency.
Between Fiscal Years 2007-2010, the USPS has posted losses of $20.4 billion. If action is not taken, they will be faced with indefinite and unsustainable deficits. Private Sector transportation sort-and-distribution companies have identified real savings by consolidating and streamlining the movement of mail in the USPS system. Facility and workforce costs can also be drastically reduced by consolidating operations.
Workforce, equipment, and facilities can be used together for mail distribution and to reduce their overall infrastructure footprint. The system can be streamlined for a higher utilization of the transportation network. This can be achieved by reducing the existing transportation and sort facilities by 72 percent. The $350 million sorting facility sitting idle at the Air Park is ready to be utilized for this purpose by a consolidated and streamlined USPS. This would ensure that the Postal Service stops losing money and the mail would move just as fast. This could all be accomplished without increases in postage rates or the elimination of Saturday delivery.
As we move ahead, I will continue to find ways to promote Wilmington, and the Air Park as a home for businesses looking to expand. We have the infrastructure and work force to make help make any company a success. This will take time and effort on the part of our community. I am confident that we will be able to succeed in returning our friends and neighbors to work.