HEATH-NEWARK-LICKING COUNTY PORT AUTHORITY
                      PUBLIC INFORMATION PROGRAM


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE					CONTACT:
July 18, 2003		        Rick Platt, 740-788-5500 ext. 35

 PORT AUTHORITY UNVEILS $11.4 MILLION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN

HEATH, OHIO – At its recent regular meeting, the Board of Directors 
of the Heath-Newark-Licking County Port Authority accepted a new 
10-year capital improvements plan that predicts over $11.38 million 
in capital improvements over the next 10 years.  The plan outlines 
major improvements expected for the Central Ohio Aerospace and 
Technology Center (the former Newark Air Force Base) through the 
year 2012.

Key components of the plan include:
·	Public infrastructure upgrades for the 350-acre campus 
total over $5.9 million, including repaving nearly one million 
square feet of parking areas.
·	Building improvements totaling more than $5 million, 
including 385,000 square feet of roof repairs.
·	Prepare for future growth through additional development 
to 290 acres of vacant land purchased in 2002, including developing 
over two miles of new roadways with accompanying water and sewer 
upgrades.
·	Redeveloping portions of the original Newark Air Force 
Base property by relocating facilities currently housed on the 
eastern and northwestern sections of the campus.

“In COATC, the Port Authority drives a facility that is a major 
economic engine for Heath, Newark, and all of Licking County,” 
said Port Authority Director Rick Platt.  “This level of capital 
investment commitment recognizes that it is necessary to modernize 
existing facilities and prepare for future growth in order to help 
ensure that COATC remain an important contributor to Central Ohio’s 
economy for years to come.”

Adjusted for a 4.5% annual inflation rate, the total cost of the 
plan could reach over $13.7 million.  The total does not include 
projected new business development or capital improvements 
undertaken directly by COATC tenants such as The Boeing Company.

Funding for the improvements are expected to come from a variety of 
sources particularly Port Authority lease revenue, land sales, 
private resources, and grants.

Under the theme Planning for Modernization, the Port Authority 
initiated an update to its capital improvements plan in February 
in a five-step process that included accepting input from the 
public and tenants of the COATC.  A draft version of the plan was 
distributed in April.  The latest version of the plan can be found 
on-line at http://coatc.com/plan.

The COATC is home to Fortune 100 companies and other high tech 
aerospace and defense firms.  With six of the top 20 Department of 
Defense contractors, COATC is among the top five largest 
concentrations of the defense industry in Ohio.

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