LEONARDTOWN, Md. — The Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland awarded St. Mary’s County $75,000 on Tuesday to complete updates to the St. Mary’s County Regional Airport.
The funding will go toward improving the front of the airport terminal, marking the final phase of a $380,000 investment the council made in 2021 to create public gathering spaces and support the emerging AeroPark Innovation District at the airport. Other features of the project included establishing the airport as the headquarters for Southern Maryland Innovates and fostering collaboration among the aviation and aeronautics industries, pilot population, and academic and research organizations.
The original investment came from a $10 million grant awarded to the Tri-County Council for Southern Maryland. Of that amount, $2.4 million has gone to St. Mary’s County—the second-largest allocation of any county—to fund economic development projects.
“We’re an aviation community, no doubt. And everything we do to modernize that and continue with the development… we appreciate that,” Commissioner President James R. Guy said.
St. Mary’s County is home to one of the largest aviation and aeronautics communities in the country and has made significant investments in improving the regional airport. The airport is a key component of the broader AeroPark Innovation District initiative, which includes the University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland—now featuring an additional Smart Building—the University of Maryland Unmanned Aerial System Test Site, the TechPort business accelerator, and a range of specialized aviation and aeronautic companies.
Since its creation in 1969, the airport has received public investment at the federal, state, and local levels. Since 1978, it has secured $34,590,977 in funding. The AeroPark Innovation District represents a unique milestone in its 56-year history, aiming to integrate the airport into a larger initiative designed to attract “top firms, workers, and residents.”
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