The Benedum Airport Authority cleared the way for the West Virginia Economic Development Authority to move forward on Pierpont Community and Technical College's $25 million Aviation Maintenance Program hangar classroom on Tuesday.

"We gave them the option to purchase a piece of land to build the school," BAA Board President David Hinkle said. "So it's up to the West Virginia EDA to do due diligence on it and get the land from the Department of Highways and build the building."

Hinkle said the BAA put up 2.63 acres of land belonging to the North Central West Virginia Airport up for sale. That alone won't be enough to begin construction as plans for Pierpont's new educational facility call for additional land currently owned by the Division of Highways.

Hinkle said it's always been in the WVEDA's court to buy the land and build the building.

The decision to put the stub of land up for sale came after the BAA took their regular board meeting behind closed doors to discuss property. Pierpont Community and Technical Director of Aviation Technology Brad Gilbert said the school has been in a holding pattern. The Jim Justice Administration approved $25 million for the hangar combination classroom nearly a year and half ago. It would allow Pierpont's Aviation Maintenance Program to expand from 130 students to 200. The building's footprint would be 70,000 square feet. Since then, the project has been dormant.

"We've got a lot of students," Gilbert said. "We need more parking, more classrooms, more bathrooms."

The proposed design features two high bay hangers, aviation-related specialty labs, including shops for turbine and reciprocating engine overhauls, flight controls and hydraulics, lecture classrooms, and a learning resource and testing center.

According to Pierpont research, students who enter the aviation maintenance field can earn a median annual salary of $52,921 a year. Other data from the U.S. Department of Labor shows the hourly wage range from $17-to-$37 an hour with the proper Federal Aviation Administration-sanctioned training from Pierpont.

Mid-Atlantic Aerospace Complex President Tracy Miller also provided a litmus test of how hot the state's aviation industry is right now. The state will be at the Australian Aerospace Show, which is an export show. What especially interests Miller in the development is the foreign direct investment component, saying Australian companies are interested in the opportunities available in North America.

Although Miller will not be making the trip to the show, she will still do what she can to help the state's representation.

"I will be working with them to make sure they have brochures and whatever is available so that our Aerotech Park is on their radar," she said.