The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners has approved a $45 million hangar development project at DeKalb-Peachtree Airport (PDK) by Sky Harbour, a company specializing in home-based operations for business aircraft. The decision was made on November 18, with six commissioners voting in favor and one opposed. The project will not require any financial contribution from the county.
Sky Harbour plans to build eight hangars on 12.8 acres on the airport’s east side. According to estimates, the project is expected to have a total financial impact of $576 million over its 50-year lease term. Of this amount, $66 million in direct ground lease revenue will go to PDK Airport. Additionally, tax revenues for DeKalb County, the DeKalb County School Board, and the City of Chamblee are projected to increase by $510 million during the contract period.
DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson addressed community concerns about environmental impacts and noise associated with airport development: “I am very sensitive to development at PDK and its impact on the environment and local residents but we will use this project to reduce the major concerns expressed by the local community,” said Cochran-Johnson. “I will be forming a community-based friends’ group to work alongside the airport and county to ensure PDK Airport is family friendly with great parks, dining, and engaging experiences that educate and entertain.”
Hunter Hines, Director of PDK Airport, commented on both economic growth and local quality of life: “PDK is one of the nation’s top executive airports and businesses want to be located here. Through this development, we can ensure continuous economic growth, while also supporting the concerns of our local community,” Hines said. “We can offer noise relief to residents in DeKalb County and provide much needed hangar space that will generate significant revenue to both the airport and the County.”
As part of the agreement, $1 million per year will be allocated for reinvestment into nearby neighborhoods. A Friends of PDK group will also be established as an advisory body for future projects and investments.
“To ensure we have open lines of communication with residents, we have created a full time position for a Community Relations Manager. We are dedicated to responsible growth and healthy communities, so I’m excited to work with the community to ensure we create optimal outcomes for all,” said Cochran-Johnson.
An Air Quality & Noise Study is currently underway at PDK Airport in order to monitor potential environmental effects from operations; results are expected by June 2026.
DeKalb County schools enrolled 98,287 students during the 2022-23 school year according to state data (https://www.gadoe.org/). This represented a decline in enrollment by 2.2% compared with the previous academic year (https://www.gadoe.org/). White students comprised approximately 14% of DeKalb’s student population during that period (https://www.gadoe.org/).
