Ohio University Announces Plans for New Airport Terminal
Editors: Photos from the press conference announcing the new terminal are available at: www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/AIRPORT1.JPG
www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/AIRPORT2.JPG
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An artist's rendering of a possible design of the terminal is available at www.ohiou.edu/news/pix/snyderterminal.jpg (follow this link to view the rendering online)
Contact: Jack Jeffery, (740) 597-1793 or (740) 593-1043
ATHENS, Ohio (September 29, 2000) -- Construction will begin in the spring on a new terminal at the Ohio University airport, President Robert Glidden announced today. C. David Snyder, 48, of Cleveland, a 1974 Ohio University College of Business graduate and member of the Board of Trustees, is donating about half of the $1.5 million needed to design and construct the terminal. The rest of the cost will be covered by money generated by the airport.
The new terminal will be nearly 7,000 square feet, about two and a half times larger than the existing structure, and will be able to house current staff and services as well as such as a commuter airline and rental car counters, baggage area and passenger waiting area. Plans are progressing for an extension of the runway from 4,200 feet to 5,600 feet, which will allow larger aircraft, such as corporate jets, to use the airport. Efforts now are being made to secure a commuter airline for the airport.
The terminal will be named the C. David Snyder Terminal and the runway Snyder Field. The name of the airport will remain the Ohio University Gordon K. Bush Regional Airport.
Snyder, who graduated cum laude, is a generous supporter of the university. He sponsors and funds the REALOGIC Student Organization Program, which provides financial backing for student professional organizations in the College of Business, and established the C. David Snyder Scholarship for business students.
He is majority owner of Snyder International Brewing Group in Cleveland, the largest independent brewer in Ohio and among the top 20 in the nation. He is the former chairman, president and CEO of REALOGIC Inc., a $42 million technology consulting and systems integration firm that he founded in 1993.
"I think the airport development will mean a lot for the university and the whole region in terms of economic development," Snyder said. "To have a great university, you need to have economic balance. One way to achieve that balance is to have access to the region. From a long-term perspective, this is a significant priority."
Snyder has a deep loyalty to his alma mater.
"During my college days, I met a lot of great people and received a good education. I have many fond memories from my time as a student at Ohio University," he said. "Athens is a great college town, and it combines with the university for one of the finest college environments in the nation."
This summer, Snyder proved his community spirit in his hometown of Napoleon, Ohio, by throwing a huge homecoming bash and spearheading a festival that featured the Motown group The Temptations. Nearly 4,000 people attended the event, which funded scholarships for Napoleon High School graduates.
"We greatly appreciate Mr. Snyder's gift to help with this airport project," Glidden said. "The expanded runway and new terminal will greatly enhance the airport and provide a boost to the university and entire southeast Ohio region. This project promises to make the region more accessible for Ohio University students, parents, alumni and area businesses and their clients."
The current terminal is almost 30 years old and needs $100,000 in improvements and repairs to be brought up to code.
Snyder was appointed to the Ohio University Board of Trustees in 1999. He has endowed four scholarships in the College of Business and is a member of the executive board of the Greater Cleveland Boy Scouts of America and a trustee of the Great Lakes Science Center.
