NEW RUSSIA TWP., Ohio — After years of effort, local leaders say they’re a major step closer to bringing industry to the Lorain County Airport. They hope it will spur development, but some neighbors are pushing back against the idea.
County Commissioner Dave Moore said nearly 350 acres north of the airport runway will be listed for sale this week for $75,000 per acre.
“We’re not doing anything new. What we’re doing is executing those plans from 1963,” Moore said, explaining the parcels have been zoned for industrial development since that time.
In August 2025, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) authorized the airport to sell about 218 acres of land purchased with federal funds. The FAA said the authorization prohibited anything from being built on the land that would interfere with airport uses. It also required part of the sale proceeds to support airport improvements.
An additional 106 acres did not need authorization for the sale because it was acquired without federal funds, the FAA said.
Moore said about $18,000 to $19,000 of the sale of each acre will go to airport improvements, including potentially lengthening the runway to accommodate larger planes. He touted the sale as an opportunity for new growth.
“This is good for Lorain County, it’s good for Northeast Ohio, and it’s good for aviation, and it’s good for the people in Lorain County who like to keep our taxes low,” he said.
Some neighbors worry new development could change the community’s rural character.
“We’re not happy about it. We don’t want a bunch of riffraff, a bunch of noise. You’d lose the country feel of it all. Then how much are they going to encroach on us?” said Lori Joyce, who lives just north of the airport.
Her family operates its concrete business out of their New Russia Twp. home and Joyce said she wonders how new industry could affect their livelihood.
Many of the neighbors in the area also display “No Mega Site” signs in their yards, referring to proposed high-tech development at a 1,000-acre swath of farmland adjacent to the airport property.
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News 5 has also covered neighbors’ concerns about a proposed housing development north of the airport.
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Joyce said she hopes for balance between economic investment and preservation of the community’s lifestyle.
“There should be a way for it to be a win-win for everybody,” she said. “Nobody wants to lose their ruralness around here. It’s peaceful. It’s quiet.”
The sale listing comes as the county grapples with a budget deficit. Moore believes the new investment could help create long-term financial stability.
“The public says, ‘Live within your means.’ And in order to do that, we need to expand our tax base. We either do it through higher taxes or more jobs, more industry, more homes,” he said.
The type of development at the airport remains unclear, but Moore said it would likely complement the aviation industry.
Catherine Ross is the Lorain County reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on X @CatherineRossTV, on Facebook CatherineRossTV or email her at Catherine.Ross@wews.com.
