32 Units Planned At Cochran Regional Airport

San Diego developer Karl Higgins is betting $10 million on well-heeled aviators' interest in a luxury hangar for their aircraft. Higgins is planning 32 hangars to be built at Jacqueline Cochran Regional Airport in Thermal, CA. The project is scheduled to begin by the end of the year, and will be accomplished in phases over the next three years on a 4.5 acre site. The first units will be available mid-2013 and pricing begins at $400,000 and goes up to $1 million depending on amenities and size.

Mydesert.com reports that Higgins, executive vice president of Montecito Aviation Group says “I think we've turned the corner on the recession, and the timing is right for this project in the desert at this airport. I think our price range is in the sweet spot for the clientele that use the airport.”

Unlike any typical hangar, artist's renderings show two-story buildings with 2nd floor glass walls. Among the other amenities offered: observation decks, crew quarters, ready rooms, kitchens and offices. Outside the hangar, a communal area with fountains and a gas-fired barbecue pit with shaded patio are optional.

Higgins is targeting actors, athletes and business tycoons that already use the airport. He says the area is ideal due to its proximity to mountains, golfing and beaches. He adds “When you're flying point to point in your own aircraft, it's just a few minutes to hit San Diego and enjoy the beach.”

The new hangars at KTRM will join the existing 125 that are already in place.

FMI: www.rivcoeda.org