COLUMBUS, Ind. — The Columbus Board of Aviation Commissioners is beginning formal negotiations with T.M. Crowley and Associates for development of the former Walesboro Airport property.
The company was the only respondent to the request for proposals (RFP) the aviation board released in June regarding the Walesboro property.
The RFP called for proposals from “qualified developers and/or development teams to purchase and offer comprehensive development services to design, build, establish and operate a transportation Proving Ground, Research & Development, and/or Testing and Validation Complex on approximately 465, 535 or up to 625 acres of available land.”
The number of acres available will depend whether current tenants, including Faurecia and Cummins, agree to vacate or amend, airport officials said. The RFP estimated that groundbreaking might occur in the second quarter of 2021.
Airport Director Brian Payne said, in a letter drafted to T.M. Crowley & Associates from the board, “We anticipate drafting a timeline and terms sheets in a couple weeks for the purposes of further negotiation.”
For more on this story, see Thursday’s Republic.
