Detroit city airport to receive donation to help restore youth aviation training programs
November 27, 2017
By ANNALISE FRANK
Crain's Detroit Business
The advocacy group Friends of Detroit City Airport plans to celebrate the Coleman A. Young International Airport's 90th anniversary Thursday with an announcement of new education funding.
An anonymous donor from California is giving about $676,000 for youth aviation programs at the airport site, said Beverly Kindle-Walker, executive director of the nonprofit Friends of Detroit City Airport.
The anniversary celebration is 3:30-6 p.m. Thursday, is open to the public, and includes food, tours with airport tenants and a press conference at 4 p.m.
The Coleman A. Young International Airport, formerly the Detroit City Airport, has evolved over the decades since a plane first landed there in 1927. Now the facility is underutilized and posts operating losses, Crain's has reported.
The anonymous gift will go toward providing dedicated training space and updating programming in a bid to lure more aviation education back to the airport grounds, Kindle-Walker said.
One specific goal is to bring back extensive aviation training programs run through Davis Aerospace Technical High School. The school was previously located near the airport, but moved in 2013 to the Golightly Career and Tech Center. Davis does still bring students to the airport, but for limited training, Kindle-Walker said.
Detroit leaders have also pitched the airport as an asset in the city's resurgence.
Mayor Mike Duggan's administration has sought out developers this year to find new uses for the 264-acre plot of land. Also, Quicken Loans Inc. Chairman Dan Gilbert pointed to the underutilized airport as a selling point in the city's bid for Amazon.com Inc.'s second headquarters.
Click HERE for original story on Crain's Detroit Business.
Gratiot-Conner corridor renovations complete at Detroit city airport
WJBK Fox 2
Posted Oct 14 2018 05:50PM EDT
Video Posted Oct 14 2018 04:16PM EDT
(WJBK) - If you grew up on the eastside Gratiot-Conner corridor; you may have memories to share which center around Detroit City Airport.
Well the airport has gotten a well needed renovation adding an A-Stem studies wing. The program includes aviation, science, technology, engineering and mathematics, even potential economic opportunities.
Corey Matten with the color guard was just one of many students excited for the new space in the community. "It’s great for the community to have our own safe space, where you can learn about stuff you usually wouldn't learn about in regular schools," he said.
With donated funds over the past year, non-profit 'We the Friends of Detroit City Airport' has renovated the building just east of the terminal for Youth Education in Aviation.
They also collaborated with the Tuskegee Airmen the Detroit chapter to bring aviation student training.
Click HERE for original story on WJBK Fox 2.