Gary Jet Center, an aviation services company based at the Gary/Chicago International Airport has opened its newly constructed corporate flight center. A family-owned and operated company, the Gary Jet Center provides fixed base operations at the Gary, IN site to a variety of corporate and general aircraft, aircraft management services to over a dozen aircraft owners, Part 135 Charter operations, and two Part 145 Maintenance certificates.

The construction and project management firm, LEE Companies of Gary, IN, oversaw the building project. The new corporate flight center caps a decade-long collaboration between LEE Companies and the Gary Jet Center, during which time the two companies collaborated on the construction of more than 80,000 square feet of hangar space at the site.
The new 8,500 square foot facility, on track to be earn LEED Gold certification, adjoins an existing 40,000 square foot LEED Gold hangar facility on the site. These facilities demonstrate a Gary Jet Center’s focus on sustainable construction and operation while providing tenants of the Jet Center direct access to their aircraft. The construction of the project prioritized using locally sourced and aesthetically pleasing materials, ultimately allowing the construction team to transfer costs that typically go to shipping to sourcing of quality local materials. Gary Jet Center offers more than 110,000 square feet of hangar space.

Customers and visitors of the new Gary Jet Center enter through the lobby, which boasts views of the newly renovated runway. The windows are tempered to mitigate solar heat gain, which helps moderate HVAC cooling costs. The interior spaces, designed to be both grand and cozy, create an inviting environment. In addition to the main lobby, customers of the Gary Jet Center also now have access to a business center, conference room, pilot lounge, coffee bar, kitchen/catering area, and quiet room, as well as shower and locker facilities.
Wil Davis, CEO, said, “We are excited to celebrate the grand opening of our new Corporate Flight Center with so many friends and colleagues. This event represents a new chapter for both Gary Jet Center and Gary, Indiana as we are now able to rewrite the narrative of private aviation in Northwest Indiana.”
Patrick Lee, President and Owner of LEE Companies, adds, “LEE Companies is honored to be a part of the campus development and largest private investment at the Gary Chicago International Airport culminating in this incredible state-of-the-art Corporate Flight Center, the jewel in the crown of the Gary Jet Center West Campus, establishing the Gary Jet Center as the preeminent FBO in the Midwest.”
This project is the fruition of a dedicated design and construction team led by LEE Companies and composed of Ghafari Associates, known around the world for creating state-of-the-art aviation facilities, and Partners by Design, Named Interior Design Firm of the Year at Crain’s Chicago Business Commercial Real Estate Awards in 2015, 2014, 2011, 2010, and 2006, Partners by Design was also named Architect of the Year in 2013.