Through the FAA Airport Improvement Program, which will go to the City of Monroe, North Carolina.  Federal funds are needed to complete the city’s efforts to lengthen and strengthen the runway and supporting taxiways, and build a ramp at the north end of Runway 23.  The runway and taxiways are being lengthened from 5,500 feet to 7,000 feet because the airport cannot support larger aircraft, which hinders service to local business and industry.  Furthermore, the Charlotte-Monroe Executive Airport is a reliever airport for Charlotte Douglas International Airport, yet certain planes cannot divert to Monroe given the runway’s length and weight constraints.  The new ramp area will service up to 35 acres of future industrial and/or hangar development, which will assist in the City’s efforts to generate new jobs, particularly in the aerospace industry.  The City of Monroe is home to the highest concentration of aerospace companies in the State of North Carolina.  The workforce and training resources are readily available for new companies to relocate to Monroe.  This project will provide economic development opportunities for local and state governments as jobs are desperately needed.  In addition, the project will help local, state, and federal governments to meet FAA safety guidelines.