Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony Held for New Jet Run-Up and Compass Calibration Pad at St. Louis Downtown Airport

By Carmelo Turdo

St. Louis Downtown Airport held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday to open the newly constructed Ground Engine Run-Up and Compass Calibration Pad located adjacent to the Gulfstream facility north of Runway 12L-30R. The $5.4M project was engineered by Hanson Professional Services and was completed in ten months by general contractor Baxmeyer Construction. The jet blast deflector is designed to reduce noise generated from engine tests by 50%, and the pre-delivery compass calibration process will be made more efficient by providing a large area for positioning the aircraft around the certified compass rose.

Members of the media and invited guests were shuttled to the site prior to the 10 A.M. ceremony. Staged in front of the jet blast deflector was a Gulfstream jet and informational displays to illustrate the size and dual-use nature of the project. Along with the guest speakers featured below, we recognize Bi-State Development Executive Vice President of Multimodal Enterprises Mary Lamie and St. Louis Downtown Airport Director Sandra Shore for leading the project to this opening day. 

The official ribbon-cutting was preceded by remarks from Bi-State Development leaders and local political figures responsible for making the project possible. Here we feature an overview of the guest speaker portion of the event.

(Official program above provided by St. Louis Downtown Airport)

Master of Ceremonies Cordell Whitlock, Communications Consultant and former radio and television media host

Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development

An engine run-up facility is key to investments in this airport...When our tenants can use the engine run-up facility...they can use this wonderful facility to do the fundamental work on these wonderful aircraft...to bring in hundreds of jobs to make things happen. We needed to make these important investments...We need to work together on a public and private-sector basis where we deliver projects where then we can deliver jobs.

Jason Osborn, Director of Illinois Department of Transportation Office of Intermodal Project Implementation

We are especially happy to be here today because we are spotlighting our aviation system and a project at one of the state's greatest airports...A five-million-dollar commitment through Rebuild Illinois made this project possible. It is an investment that strengthens transportation in St. Clair County, the Metro-East and the entire state of Illinois...We are making investments in people. Congratulations to St. Louis Downtown Airport and the communities of Cahokia Heights and Sauget. We are happy and proud to be your partners and look forward to partnering with you in the future.

Kevin Schmidt, Illinois State Representative for District 114

This event is a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation and an unwavering commitment to the advancement of our region. The successful execution of this project showcases the dedication and hard work of numerous individuals including our skilled engineers, laborers and community leaders who tirelessly worked together to bring this vision to life...As we cut this ribbon today, let us remember the importance of investing in our future. Our airport is not just a hub of transportation, it is a symbol of our region's progress and potential.

Herb Simmons, Chairman of the Bi-State Development Board of Commissioners

The aviation industry in the state of Illinois is robust. It represents $95B in annual economic impact, and St. Louis Downtown Airport is a key contributor to the economic activity...Location is everything, and being only minutes away from the Gateway Arch and downtown St. Louis makes this airport very convenient to fly in and out of and to work at...It helps generate $422M annual economic impact and provides more than fifteen hundred full-time and part-time jobs in the bi-state area between airport operations and its tenants. It's all about jobs. We are pleased to see the airport accommodate the evolving needs of world-class tenants such as Weststar and Gulfstream. 

Richard Sauget, Jr., Mayor of the Village of Sauget

I want to congratulate and say thank you to Gulfstream and all of the staff of Bi-State with this wonderful project. It just shows what this area is all about - economic development...We may be a small community, but we support our entire region through the jobs that we provide...I also serve as the Chairman of the MId-America Workforce Investment Board, so we look forward to Gulfstream and new jobs they can provide. 

The guest speakers were joined by Mary Lamie and Sandra Shore for the ceremonial ribbon-cutting followed by group photos in front of the Gulfstream jet.

The Aero Experience thanks St. Louis Downtown Airport, Bi-State Development, Gulfstream Aerospace and everyone who worked to make this day a reality.