Renovations continuing on Greene County Airport building one year after fire
Mike Jones/ Observer-Reporter
Debris from inside the Greene County Airport is discarded in a dumpster in this February photo. A fire in the airport’s radio room on March 24, 2021, has caused the building to be closed for the past year due to extensive repairs and upgrades needed to get it up to modern-day standards.
Mike Jones/Observer-Reporter
A sign on the front door of the Greene County Airport building directs people looking for the office of District Judge Glenn Bates to go to the Greene County Courthouse.
Shortly after the flames were extinguished in the Greene County Airport’s radio room last March, the assumption was that a few electrical circuits would need to be replaced and a new coat of paint could be slapped on the walls for the building to reopen to the public.
The fire itself was relatively minor, although the interior of the building sustained heavy smoke and water damage. But as county officials began working with their insurer and started hiring contractors to repair the building, they ran into unexpected hurdles.
The electrical system throughout the building needed to be totally rewired and the ventilation ductwork had to be upgraded. Meanwhile, the schematic drawings of the building were out of date, forcing them to be redrawn before the bulk of the work could begin. When the work is finally completed – county officials hope it will be done in the coming months – the building will be practically brand new and up to modern-day code.
But on the anniversary of the March 24, 2021, fire, frustration has mounted as the office of District Judge Glenn Bates has been housed in a temporary space in the Greene County Courthouse while the popular Airport Restaurant has remained closed during that time.
“I guess they’re working on it,” Bates said this week. “It’s been a very slow process, and I’m very disappointed that it’s taken a year to get to this point, but at least they’re making progress.”
Bates and his three secretaries moved into a cramped office space on the third floor of the Greene County Courthouse while he utilized a temporary courtroom for traffic and criminal cases. But his courtroom was eventually moved into a different room on the courthouse’s ground level two floors away from his secretaries as boxes of files piled up and became more cramped as the year went on. The temporary space has become cumbersome as construction on the building stalled, Bates said.
“It’s just not a handy or efficient way to do our job,” Bates said. “Records are out at the airport so we have to keep going out to get things.”
After the fire, there were initial hopes that the airport building on Route 21 near Waynesburg could be fixed relatively quickly despite the smoke and water damage to its interior. The state police fire marshal determined the blaze started in the radio room from “spontaneous heating” of cleaning rags covered in chemicals that were stored in the room. Greene County Commission Chairman Mike Belding said shortly after the fire they expected to make repairs in a couple of months so the tenants could move back into the building.
“In the beginning, they told us one to two months,” Bates said. “That would’ve been great to be back there in one or two months. Things come up, I understand. But then it was four months and six months and now we’re on to a year.”
Bates was told he could search for a temporary location for the county to lease, but he determined the options that he found were either too costly or would not be suitable as a short-term option. In hindsight, both Bates and county officials agree they wish they had leased an office space immediately after the fire.
Chief Clerk Jeff Marshall said the delays were a result of the repairs being much more significant than originally thought immediately after the fire. While the original interior demolition work was completed quickly, other problems arose as inspectors looked behind the walls, he said.
“When the fire happened, it was thought one room, one circuit, easy fix,” Marshall said. “When the (code inspector) came in we found out the codes had changed; it took a lot more than anticipated to bring it up to current code.”
Construction is now making significant process with the upgraded electrical and ductwork expected to be installed soon. Once that’s done, the drywall can be attached and the furnishings can be returned to the building. The total cost of the project is estimated at $399,000, Marshall said, with the county’s insurance expected to pick up the bulk of the costs.
“It should be boom, boom, boom,” Marshall said, although he declined to give a specific timeline on when the building will reopen. “Hopefully it’s sooner than later. But it’s been a year.”
The reopening will also be welcome news to customers who regularly enjoyed meals at the Airport Restaurant. Owner Kathy Kiger did not respond to a phone message seeking comment on the anniversary of the fire, but Marshall said she has indicated to county officials that she would like to return to the location and reopen the diner once the space is ready. Marshall said there have been some discussions about building a large deck on the side of the restaurant for outdoor dining, although their focus right now is on completing construction.
“We told her some of the changes and upgrades and she appreciated that,” Marshall said. “She wants to come back. The people miss her being there.”
The county is seeking a partial permit from Franklin Township to allow the main floor of the building where the magistrate’s office and restaurant are located to be occupied immediately before renovations on the basement are completed.
Meanwhile, Bates is ready to get back into his courtroom, although he’s unsure when exactly that may happen.
“They claim right now that they don’t see any more problems. They have the material, the money and everything is in place,” Bates said. “So, who knows?”