News

G-RAMP closer to reality

  • Published
  • By Ed Drohan
  • 78th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. --  G-RAMP, a project that holds the promise of more jobs for Middle Georgia and more industrial capacity for Robins Air Force Base, may be moving closer to becoming a reality.

The Warner Robins Redevelopment Agency received a presentation Tuesday from a group representing three companies that would like to serve as project managers and developer for the venture on 90 of 544 acres of City of Warner Robins-owned land bordering the northwest side of the installation. The first phase of the project would include building several hangars and taxiways at a cost of approximately $40 million.

The city would lease the hangers to aerospace companies performing contract work for the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center. In turn, the city would receive revenues from the lease, Middle Georgia would receive several hundred new jobs, and the WR-ALC would receive added maintenance capacity and the ability to accept new workload.

Officials say the facilities would also improve the quality of life and productivity of those at the Center, while reducing a number of operating costs.

Representatives from Rosser, an engineering firm; The McDuffie Group, an architectural planning firm; and development firm Pantoni discussed their plans for G-RAMP with city officials during the meeting. Under their proposal, Rosser and the McDuffie Group would serve as project managers and Pantoni would be the project developer.

At the same time, Dan McRae, the city's G-RAMP attorney, said Warner Robins has a plan to seek funding for the project from federal, state, local and private sources. A spokesman for U.S. Rep. Jim Marshall said the congressman is also trying to secure congressional funding for the project, although he didn't know if that would be successful.

WR-ALC Commander Maj. Gen Polly Peyer called the developments an important step in efforts to enhance Air Force and private-industry sustainment capabilities here.

"Everything which improves the synergy with our industry partners results in increased weapons system availability to the warfighter," she said. "This is exceptionally good news."