Two weeks after Gov. Kay Ivey and other officials visited Selma to see tornado damage, the governor returned to Dallas County for good news.

Resicum International LLC announced today it will develop an aviation center at Craig Field, former site of a U.S. Air Force Base that closed in 1977. The company, based in Virginia, will open a training facility for aircraft mechanics, an aircraft maintenance facility, a flight school, and other operations. The company plans to invest $1.3 million and create 70 jobs over three years. The jobs will pay an average wage of $30 an hour, not counting benefits, the company said.

“Two weeks ago we were here for devastation,” Ivey said. “And two weeks later, we’re here for an economic development announcement. So y’all that is resilience and I am proud to be a part of it. Proud of Selma and Dallas County.”

Other state, county, and city officials joined Ivey for the announcement, along with executives from the company. Officials expressed hope that the project would promote more development in Dallas County, which is part of Alabama’s Black Belt, an area that lags behind most of the state in job opportunities.

“We’re hopeful that with this comes a multiplier effect,” said Rep. Prince Chestnut, D-Selma, who predicted the aviation center will help build momentum that will bring about more change and help Selma attract retail establishments.

“We’re going to make this place the place that it used to be and bring back the old glory of Selma and Dallas County and we’re going to resurge the Black Belt,” he said.

Ivey praised the decision by Resicum to bring new life to the former Air Force Base where thousands of American and British pilots trained during World War II.

“Craig Field has aviation training in its DNA, so it’s great to see Resicum establish a facility that that will tap into this rich heritage while also solidifying the future for this Selma landmark,” Ivey said. “This project has significant potential, and I look forward to seeing how it unfolds.”

Resicum signed a 10-year lease for a 50,000-square foot hangar and has begun renovations. The center will provide flight training and maintenance support to government, commercial, and general aviation customers, according to the company.

“We’re glad to be here in this historic airfield and this historic town,” Resicum chief of operations Robert Baird said. “We know it’s the perfect place to launch the building that we’re doing here, building a comprehensive aviation center of excellence. It’s Selma’s birthright to have this kind of work in this town. And we intend to bring it back here and keep it here.”

Baird said Selma’s geographic location was a main factor in the decision.

Jim Corrigan, executive director of the Craig Field Airport & Industrial Authority, said the length of the runway, 8,000 feet, is one of the factors that helps set Craig Field apart when competing for projects like the aviation center.

“There’s a lot of cities around Alabama with a 4,000 or 5,000-foot runway,” Corrigan said. “You can’t land a 747 at those places. You can land a tanker here. You can land a heavy airplane here. And you can do maintenance on that. You can unload supplies, logistics. That’s what makes us unique. We can handle all types of aircraft where other cities might not be able to. So, I want to leverage that capability to give Selma the best boost we can.”

Corrigan trained as a pilot at Craig Air Force Base in 1977, the year it closed. He retired from the Air Force as a colonel in 1997. He was a Delta pilot for 21 years before retiring in 2018.

Corrigan said the Resicum project fits perfectly in the overall plan to redevelop Craig Field. He said the recent establishment of manned control tower was a key factor in making Craig Field suitable for the aviation center.

“We’ve got controlled air space overhead that allows us to fly a lot of airplanes with enhanced safety,” Corrigan said. “This tower allows this company to come in and start a flight school, start an A and P (Airframe and Power Plant mechanics) school, start a maintenance operation where they bring a lot of airplanes in for maintenance. So it fits right in our vision.

“We’re going to be back in the training business.”