http://www.massport.com/planning/featu_cp1.html
It is a $205 million dollar project.. Lets just say, for arguements sake, MassPort offered $30 million for the ORH??? Where did I come up with that number--no idea... Think about how much MassPort has spent the last 6 years and they have nothing to show for it... We need to convince MassPort that owning three airports (Hanscom, Logan and ORH) would be beneficial to MassPort in the long term.
Under MassPort's ownership, we would get the commercial activity that we need, increased tax revenues and not have to spend $1,500,000 per year to keep ORH open.
SELL ORH
13 comments:
It looks like a good business move for both parties. Worcester still has an airport and Massport can utilize ORH diverting its regional flights that contribute to Logans delays. The access will always be a topic for Massport but if we get more traffic then at that point the city and Massport along with Mass Highway can push for it again. NIMBY will be there but I think the people of Worcester know we need an access road with or without ORH.
The thing that really bothers me is that the goal right now seems to be to continue the current agreements?? It would be on thing if, over the past 6 years, we had wiped out the operating deficit and had multiple carriers flying into ORH. Then I would also agree, continue the current agreement.
Consistently losing $2,000,000 per year with one commercial carrier flying three times per week to Sanford is not exactly great results over 6 years. We need to start talking to MassPort, utiling the State/Federal Delegation about selling ORH to MassPort.
One question remains to be answered. Is Massport interested in ORH. I would think they would be. I agree with Tim, it sounds like a win/win situation for both ORH and the city of Worcester.
Is MassPort interested in ORH?? Not sure myself.... Even if they are not interested, we need to use whatever political influence we have to make them interested in ORH.
The more I think about it, how could IMG recommend to continue the current arrangement with MassPort... If IMG does not come through with a commercial carrier soon for ORH, we would have spent $300,000 for pretty much nothing.
well spending money with no results to show seems like the norm at ORH...I was just at the airport yesterday, and it seems like Airport Drive gets worse by the day...I think a connenction to a major highway is needed, and we need to redo Airport Drive...forget about the agreement..we have plenty of time to think about that...most people I know don't use ORH because it is so difficult to get to
I know we need better access but the number one reason I don't use ORH is there are only flights to Orlando. Logan for years was hard to get to, but people flew from it becuase they had airlines flying to multiple locations.
I disagree John. There is not plenty of time left. The bottom line is time for a radical change.Massport is Worcester's last chance for a successful bailout.
we have 363 days left to worry about Massport...Tim I agree with you also..although Allegiant going to Orlando is good, and is a start...but its time to prove we can handle other airlines and other destinations...if we have no airlines...we have no passengers
Guys:
Airport Drive is symbolic of the mgmt at ORH. How long has it been that the road has been under construction?? Two years now and no end in sight. It completely frustrates all of us... How can we have faith in the airport mgmt when they can not even finish Airport Drive?? Never mind and access road.
That is why we need to start now to negotiate with MassPort. I can see it now.. At the last minute Congressman McGovern will convince MassPort to extend the current agreement at the last minute. Don't get me wrong--thanks will be in order to MassPort and Congressman McGovern, but what will have??
The same thing that we will have the past six years and that is not acceptable... I can not wait until the last Master Plan meeting and what IMG comes through for us after we have spent $300,000.. Lets hope it is something.
Massport buying ORH... so Hanscome is Massport's backup for Logan and then ORH becomes the second backup to Loagan or the first backup for Hanscome?
Either way, if Massport buys ORH I see ORH ending up like the bullpen catcher...no playing time.
Before anyone offloads ORH to a potential suitor, we FIRST have to see what ORH can do with a real management team in place. ORH's current management team couldn't even manage in New Britain.
The City is not capable of running or managing an airport, not unlike City Hospital or the Belmont Home or the Rogers Memorial.
Does anyone know exactly what is the hold up on Airport Drive? Is this another Washington Sq, where someone forgot to call Verizon and Mass Electric to get them to move the lines before we start digging?
On another note, it was good to see the City hopping this weeknd with the Tornadoes playing Saturday night to a good sized crowd and huge crowds turning out for for the Summer Nationals. A pat on the back and kudos to the city and the private ventures that made this possible.
Too many intangibles. If Massport does extend the current agreement, at what percentages? I believe Worcester will still be picking up a large portion of the tab. We're still back to square one.
Time to simplify and consolidate . Massport is the management team ready to takeover. They know the airport and what it needs. Yes we are giving up an asset. We can't keep experimenting with new airport managers,liasons etc. And we should be looking at it as 250 working days (less weekends and holidays etc)and not a year left. It won't be an asset much longer,but a financial drain on the city.
Steve:
The IMG report depicts the mgmt contract with MassPort at the current level, which is 68% of the operating deficit being paid by MassPort.
That leaves 32% of the operating deficit and 100% of the debt service which is approximately $1,600,000 per year.
Lets see if this truly is a win win? First-has Massport delivered anything in passenger service? Hardly. Not for anyone that has a subscription to FBO and reads how other airports of Worcester's size does business,and remains privately or publicly held.
So what makes you think the "ole access road song" will be anything but a MASSPORT ploy to get a paved roadway for 24 hour cargo flights? We'd have ample tonnage of cargo taking off every ten minutes if they had their way. But that's not what Worcester needs. Nor what the Central region's citizens want to hear. During the 87-88 passenger boom jet noise wasn't a nimby factor it was a regional nuisance. Vernon Hill cable TV reception was being disrupted as planes flew over, jet fuel vapors in misty weather like the past month permeated entire neighborhoods within the glide paths from Newton Square to Worcester State. Salisbury Street actually had less noise than the Vernon neighborhoods due to flight paths and landing logistics. Downtown jet noise escalated to East Boston and Revere's idiotic envy. How was that a win win? Do you want lots of connectors and airservice ? Then live in East Boston! Open your window and smell the excitement!!Most Worcester and surrounding town citizenry are negatively impacted by the noise. Keep it out.
I've watched the city have airlines come and go since the days of Delta in the sixties. When Young's travel/Quickway did a study of their limo passengers and of services back in the 70's it showed that Worcester couldn't compete with discounted fares found in Boston. Do your homework and get the facts! Its the economy that drives the traffic. If they had a goat path and the fares were cheap, they'd fly off Green Hill on a sled! From a safety standpoint, Airport Drive has been and still continues to be a frozen ice rink drive anytime freezing weather is a chance.
(I cross it daily.) Since before Jay Stucky arrived, there's been severe surface erosion and failure by the airport and city administrations to actively manage the facility. Our successive parade of managers seems to be the only takeoffs. Once upon a time people did notice. They DID fly, (or tried to fly out of Worcester). All the challenges that really SHOULD have been addressed were lost to the numerous calls to the signage, access road, tower or the marketing. Poor facility roadway management and safety concerns (like keeping a cars front end in place) ned to be dealt with. Its not fun to pick up someone at the airport and loose the axles doing it! Its also bad when hydraulic water press on the traffic islands runs out and freezes. I've seen cars go 300 feet past the turn skidding sideways on the black ice without snow. Snowfall sees airport and city plows foolishly pile snow up in the medians and turnouts and drivers are forced to play a cat & mice game to make turns. Add in the joy of trying to navigate the 4 foot by 2 foot wide and 2 foot deep pothole hazards. Airport management and the board is a joke as is engineering. Their combined logo and slogan should be Mad's Alfred E Newman and "What Me Worry?". Remember the tower fiasco? What happened to all the promised restaurants and services? Its simple. People don't want to fly out of a place that has badly maintained or poorly managed facilities and costs the same or more. In addition many had the joy like I did of being bused to Beantown due to fog.Would you say that's a win-win? What's the difference between mASSPORT and Worcester's management styles? Not much... except Massport would supply endless bureaucrats and never-ending political hacks.
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