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Winston-Salem's Smith Reynolds Airport gets a facelift

Winston-Salem's Smith Reynolds Airport, used for general aviation, corporate aircraft and air charter services, has a new facelift.

The Terminal Building, where renovations occurred, was first dedicated in 1942, and the recent updates preserve the original look and honor the past with prominently displayed archival photos. A 1930 single-propeller plane like the one flown by Z. Smith Reynolds hangs from the main lobby ceiling.

Director Mark Davidson says there are new elements too.

"Our fixed base operator Signature Aviation is our anchor tenant, and they're leasing a lot of the first floor," says Davidson. "And so now this is the front door to our community. So, they're the ones that meet aircraft, roll out the red carpet, fill them up with fuel, and move them around in hangars. And so most of the traffic is going to come through the terminal now. That hadn’t been the case for several decades."

Davidson says the work was made possible through roughly $90 million in local, county and state investments.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the new renovations will be held on Monday at 10 am.

Before his arrival in the Triad, David had already established himself as a fixture in the Austin, Texas arts scene as a radio host for Classical 89.5 KMFA. During his tenure there, he produced and hosted hundreds of programs including Mind Your Music, The Basics and T.G.I.F. Thank Goodness, It's Familiar, which each won international awards in the Fine Arts Radio Competition. As a radio journalist with 88.5 WFDD, his features have been recognized by the Associated Press, Public Radio News Directors Inc., Catholic Academy of Communication Professionals, and Radio Television Digital News Association of the Carolinas. David has written and produced national stories for NPR, KUSC and CPRN in Los Angeles and conducted interviews for Minnesota Public Radio's Weekend America.

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