Westover Metropolitan Development Corporation (WMDC), a Chicopee, non-profit developer that operates Westover Metropolitan Airport, has begun construction on a new facility to house the Massachusetts State Police Airwing in western Massachusetts. The 9,000 s/f facility includes a hangar to house helicopters as well as offices and training facilities for the troopers. The building is scheduled for completion by January 1, 2009.
The State Police have leased separate space for its aircraft and for its personnel for the last 20 years from Westover. The new building, being constructed by Forish Construction of Westfield, brings everything under one roof. The Airwing Operations are particularly vital to western Massachusetts because of the large geographic area served and the lack of highways serving some of the more remote areas. New Alliance Bank provided construction financing for the project.
Westover Metropolitan Airport is a joint-use facility operated with the United States Air Force, offering general aviation services. Its 11,500 ft. runway is one of the longest in the northeast and has attracted increased corporate jet traffic due to the lack of takeoff and landing delays and the immediate access to the Massachusetts Tpke.