New control tower at greenwood airport 10-21-2010

A CEREMONIAL GROUND BREAKING TOOK PLACE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT THE GREENWOOD-LEFLORE AIRPORT. THE OCCASION WAS TO START WORK ON THE ABOVE GROUND PORTION OF A NEW NINE-STORY AIRPORT CONTROL TOWER COSTING AROUND $2.3 MILLION. ALREADY 60 FEET OF CONCRETE HAS BEEN POURED AS THE FOUNDATION FOR THE NEW TOWER WHICH WILL REPLACE THE ONE THAT'S CURRENTLY ONLY 14 FEET TALL, AND HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 1989. OFFICIALS EXPECT THE NEW TOWER TO HELP SPUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AT THE AIRPORT WHICH BOASTS STATE-OF-THE ART EQUIPMENT AND DESIGN.  MANY ELECTED OFFICIALS WERE ON HAND FOR THE CEREMONY INCLUDING CONGRESSMAN BENNIE THOMPSON WHO WAS ONE OF SEVERAL FEDERAL OFFICIALS THAT HELPED GET FEDERAL MONEY FOR THE MUCH-NEEDED PROJECT. THE TOWER WILL BE CONSTRUCTED OF 10-INCH THICK PRECAST CONCRETE PANELS ON A 25 BY 25 FOOT PRINT AT THE BASE. CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY THE SUMMER OF 2011.