Gary airport buys 5.7-acre parcel for cargo complex expansion
The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority has acquired a small but critical parcel needed for its $67 million 100-acre cargo expansion project on the airfield's north side.
On Wednesday, the board approved the purchase of the approximate 5.7-acre parcel for $925,000 from SES Inc., a heavy construction sales and service center at 6915 W. Chicago Ave.
Airport executive director Dan Vicari said the airport has been trying to acquire the property for several years.
The airport authority recently closed on a $16.6 million revenue bond issue to finance several projects, including the cargo center.
Meanwhile, Vicari said work is already underway on the cargo complex. He said sewers were in place and concrete work was slated to begin next month.
The new cargo complex will be able to accommodate 18 wide-body planes, such as the Airbus A300, a wide-body cargo jet with a maximum payload of over 120,000 pounds.
The airport gained state funding for a new $9.8 million fuel pipeline to enable it to fuel planes directly.
An earlier release said cargo operations have increased and the airport ranks third in Indiana for its freight volume.
In 2020, UPS began air delivery cargo service operations and later signed a long-term lease with the airport.
Speculation increased recently that FedEx would occupy a warehouse on 78 acres sold last month for $4.7 million by the Gary Redevelopment Commission in Buffington Harbor.
Officials said the buyers planned a $40 million warehouse on the site once home to the Lehigh Cement Co.
New property owner Scannell Properties LLC, based in Indianapolis, builds warehouses for FedEx.
Vicari declined to discuss the speculation and said any announcement would come from Mayor Eddie Melton's office.
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