Yeager Airport, Marshall set for feasibility study on airport hotel

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Officials with Yeager Airport and Marshall University are close to beginning a feasibility study on putting a hotel at the airport in time for the aviation school to open.

Airport Director Nick Keller told the airport’s construction board recently in a meeting that talks are advanced into the idea and Marshall has agreed to pay half of the cost to a study.

Marshall has nixed plans to build a residence hall at the university’s South Charleston campus because of cost and reached out to the airport about a hotel.

Keller told MetroNews that Marshall would “guarantee a certain occupancy rate for the hotel” by having its nearly 200 aviation students stay there, making it a win-win investment for the airport, hotel chain and Marshall.

“To live at the airport and be able to watch the airport, I think that would be a fun experience for an aviation student,” Keller said.

Keller said the airport would probably get the results back in six weeks from the study that is costing between $13,000 and $14,000. He said the consultant would look into how many rooms would be generated, recommendations for the type of hotel and brand and other financial calculations.

“Companies will go through and look at other airports that have a hotel that are around our size,” Keller said. “They will look at the feasibility of our customers and they will look at Charleston and the economy here, what the rooms were like before the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Keller noted that he had been looking into the idea of a hotel on campus before Marshall approached the airport. He said it would open up other opportunities aside from the aviation school for the airport, including conferences and event rooms.

Once the feasibility study comes back, Keller said the airport would issue a request for proposals and then developers would submit ideas.

In August, a groundbreaking took place for the Marshall University Bill Noe Flight School that is slated to open on the 2.5-acre tract for the fall semester 2021.