A “much-needed” fire station at Vicksburg Municipal Airport on U.S. 61 South officially opened Wednesday.

“It helps protect the industries that we have down here,” Vicksburg fire Chief Charles Atkins said as the ribbon was cut on the station built with $1.3 million received from the Community Development Block Grant following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

“This was a much-needed facility,” he said.

The station includes a dormitory and TV area, a computer room and a room for the public. It is five feet above flood level to avoid flooding problems the old station had faced. During construction, firefighters were housed in a mobile unit on the airport grounds.

Construction by Vicksburg contractor Fordice Construction began in October 2009 and cost $1,218,000. The remaining $82,000 grant money was used to build a 10-bay T-hangar for the airport.

“I’m excited today, not only for the city, but particularly for South Vicksburg,” Mayor Paul Winfield said following the ribbon cutting. “What we’ve seen now is the third project that amounts to millions of dollars worth of development in the south. To me, this is a significant contribution to our city, and I want our citizens to look forward to other great opportunities for us to continue to improve our infrastructure.”

The other two federal grant-sponsored projects are renovations of the 60-year-old airport terminal, which officially opened in February, and the construction of the 10-bay T-hangars, completed in July 2010.

“I think it’s wonderful and it speaks volumes about the good leadership we have in the city and county,” Mississippi Insurance Department Commissioner and State Fire Marshal Mike Chaney said during the ceremony. “This is a top-notch facility. It’s well-built and out of the flood plane. I’m very impressed with it.”

The station will serve the area from Warrenton Road south to the county line past LeTourneau Technologies Inc. on U.S. 61 south and west to the county line.

The fire station and airport could see a paved entryway by the end of the year thanks to about $58,000 in remaining grant money awarded by Delta Regional Authority in 2008. DRA awarded $327,366 to the airport for clearing brush and trees on the north side of the airport’s 5,000-foot runway.