The Athens (GA) Banner Herald reports that Barrow County is the early favorite for Atlanta's second airport. The article focuses on a meeting scheduled for August 23 marking reformation of a thirteen-county Northeast Georgia group that has been dormant for 15 years. The Northeast Georgia Surface and Air Transportation Commission will seek state and federal funding for studies while scouting sites for a 20-to-24-gate airport. The airport could offer flights to 20 to 40 cities and draw passengers from the north Atlanta suburbs to the South Carolina line.
Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield, speaking to the Market Center Council of the Chamber of Commerce, said that he wants Chattanooga's airport to expand to meet the need and become Atlanta's second airport. He pointed out that Chattanooga's airport has longer runways and more acreage than Reagan National Airport in Washington, DC, and LaGuardia International Airport in New York.
However, the announcement by consulting firm regarding Gwinnett County, Georgia last week (see Parties Agree) and the specific initiative and funding by this 13-county alliance in Northeast Georgia this week makes it clear Chattanooga has some competition.
According to the article, Delta Air Lines' recent exit from bankruptcy and Atlanta's receipt of a $1 million federal grant to study an overflow airport for Hartsfield has lead to the recent buzz. So far, officials have mentioned Chattanooga in Tennessee and Dawson County, Paulding County, and Macon as potential sites. The City of Atlanta already owns 10,000 acres in Paulding County.
The article also notes each sites problems. Chattanooga: 100 miles away and economic benefits would go to Tennessee. Paulding County: residential growth around the land might lead to complaints. Dawson County: difficult terrain. Macon: located on opposite side from the northern suburbs whose residents are driving demand.
A 1992 study noted in the article said that a regional airport would create more than 47,000 jobs and bring $2.6 billion in 1990 dollars to the region. That study concluded that the second airport should go on the I-85 corridor east of Atlanta. According to the article, the study's author says that the study is long out of date.
It would be good to hear some announcement from Mayor Littlefield, Hamilton County Mayor Claude Ramsey, Congressman Zach Wamp, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Chamber of Commerce, or some combination of thereof regarding some specific effort competitive with Gwinnett, Barrow, Paulding, and Dawson Counties, Macon, and the rest of the 13-county alliance in Northeast Georgia.
See the article in the Athens (GA) Banner-Herald
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