Saratoga County Airport’s glam new renos open in time for track season
A new restaurant invites the public to dine while watching the private jets arrive.
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A packed house filled Milton’s Saratoga County Airport lobby and its second-floor balcony on Thursday, June 26 to be the first to see the glam new renovations that include a public restaurant — from the owners of Troy’s popular Alexis Diner — and conference room.
There’s also 20,000 new square feet of hangar space, and an (also open-to-the-public) outside patio for plane-spotting. Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez called it a “remarkable transformation.”
“It's truly breathtaking,” she said. “It's no secret that Saratoga County is an absolutely beautiful place to live and work, with world-class attractions. Hundreds of millions of dollars are spent here in the local economy every year. And today's celebration [adds] to that world-class reputation by officially opening this absolutely stunning new gateway to this area.”
“Today we're pleased to announce that the modernization of the Saratoga County Airport is complete.”
The state invested $27 million in the $35.9 million restoration of the airport that’s attracted the elite via private jet hangar space (among other uses) since 1943.
“This investment in our upstate airports is fundamentally unlocking a wealth of new opportunities for the Spa City and the entire region,” Dominguez said. “Anytime you're in downtown Saratoga, everybody knows it's got a beat and a vibe of its own, and it's a great place to be. But getting here is half of fun…even if you don't fly in here, [you can now come] here for extra activities, [such as having] a moment of relaxation on the outdoor patio back here, or enjoying a drink or meal while watching the planes take off the land here on the runways.”
The now-public facility received $27 million from a revitalization competition of upstate airports that totaled $230 million.
It was announced during the ribbon-cutting that the small airport was forecasted to generate $9.7 million in economic activity.
Also in attendance were speakers Senator James Tedisco and Board of Supervisor Chairman Phil Barrett, plus Saratoga County Chamber President Todd Shimkus and Discover Saratoga President Darryl Leggieri, among many others.
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