Aeronautics Institute to Expand at Regional Airport

VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Ohio – The Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics will spend $1.3 million to expand its presence at the Youngstown Warren Regional Airport, its campus director, Dave Mitchell, announced Friday.

The institute of aeronautics expects to break ground toward the end of April to enlarge its space by 7,400 square feet to 22,400 feet, Mitchell said.

The added 7,400 feet will take the form of a two- story structure on the southern side of its Hangar 3 building. The 15,000 feet in place will be renovated. Project manager is Sidlock Group Inc., an architectural and engineering firm.

No general contractor has been chosen. The work will soon be put up for bid, Mitchell said.

The institute will offer four classrooms instead of three but one of those four will be combining two of the current classrooms into one larger room. The institute will relocate its administrative offices as well.

The new building will house new electrical and welding classrooms, an aeronautics lab and the new administrative offices.

Work is expected to be complete by year-end and all renovations to the older space completed within a year.

“Our expansion is a pivotal first step in the significant renovation and expansion of the learning environment and technology available to our students, Executive Vice President Suzanne Markle said in a statement.

The Youngstown campus of Pittsburgh Aeronautics Institute, at the airport since 2006, offers a 16-month diploma program. Demand is high for its graduates, work-ready aviation maintenance technicians, Mitchell said.

All graduates of last two classes have been hired within the industry, he said.

The institute’s main campus is in Pittsburgh. Other branch campuses are in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Hagerstown, Md.

Copyright 2024 The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.