GRR authority transition (2016)
After 60 years of operation by Kent County's Department of Aeronautics, the Gerald R. Ford International Airport became an independent regional authority. The FAA approved the transfer on July 1, 2016, and the county board appointed a seven-member governing body.
The new authority gained power to borrow, sign long-term contracts, and plan capital projects without county approval.
The governance shift enabled the airport's expansion agenda, including Project Elevate and the current federal grant pipeline.
The authority structure that exists today was created by this 2016 change — it is the legal mechanism through which the $6 million Concourse B grant is being managed.
