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On Tuesday, the LaGrange City Council signed off on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for an agreement that will potentially lead to a land swap agreement at the LaGrange Callaway Airport.

The airport and the Industrial Development Authority have been working with a United Kingdom company on a project called Project Wing to bring in an aircraft maintenance and repair company to LaGrange.

The company and the airport have already agreed to lease property near the airport to build a facility and separate hangar, but the company would ultimately like to own its own building.

The Department of Transportation and the Federal Aviation Administration have strict rules that prevent airports from selling airport property, so the company is seeking to do a land swap to acquire the property,

Airport Manager Troy Anderson said the company is an aircraft component refurbishment company.

“They’re trying to build their headquarters here in the United States, specifically LaGrange, Georgia. The intent for the complex, an industrial complex of 15 and a half acres, which will bring anywhere from 250 to 350 jobs,” Anderson said.

Ground leases are already complete for the project, but the developers have asked for the owners of the airport, LaGrange and Troup County, to sign a non-binding MOU as a good-faith gesture on the potential land swap.

Anderson said the goal is to swap the 15.5 acres that are being leased from the airport for approximately 22 acres that are better suited for the airport.

“We’ve identified 22 acres to the 15 and a half that we’re happy to do a land swap,”  Anderson said. “It’s a win, win for the airport, the county and the community. The two properties are exceptionally better suited for the airport because now I can manage the obstacles. Those are all overgrown with trees, and they’re already issues for us. So I can mow those down, and that maintains a safe environment for the airport with the runway approach.”

Anderson said there is no guarantee that the FAA will allow the swap, but the company has already invested around $125,000 toward the project, so they are committed to the development.

The council unanimously approved the MOU for the potential land swap.

The Troup County Board of Commissioners signed off on the MOU at their meeting on Nov. 5.