Lynn DeVault is congratulated by Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland after a street was named for her. The Lynn DeVault Boulevard recognizes her work to make the Cleveland Regional Jetport a reality.
A Cleveland street has been named for a woman who played key roles in the planning, construction and opening of the Cleveland Regional Jetport.
The street sign for the Lynn DeVault Boulevard was revealed Friday.
Formerly a portion of Tasso Road, the Lynn DeVault Blvd. forms the west and north perimeter around the Jetport. The unveiling ceremony took place at the intersection of Lynn DeVault Blvd. with Dry Valley Road.
City leaders, Cleveland Municipal Airport Authority members and others gathered and applauded as Ms. DeVault removed the wrapper from the street sign bearing her name. Mayor Tom Rowland presented her with a gift copy of the street sign.
“This is one of the greatest, if not the greatest, assets of the city of Cleveland,” Mayor Rowland said of the airport to those gathered for the event.
He thanked the City Council and early advocates for a new city airport, plus the Airport Authority, Airport Director Mark Fidler and Contour Flight Support, the contract fixed base operator.
“I think we have Industry here that wouldn’t be here today if not for this airport,” the mayor said.
Ms. DeVault said she appreciated the city’s recognition.
“It took all of us,” Ms. DeVault said, “not just me.”
“On the original authority, we all had our jobs and we all did our jobs,” she said.
She also thanked the city for its early funding “to get the thing going, funding the studies. We couldn’t have done it without that money.”
The Cleveland Airport Authority was created in 2004 to guide the site location, development and operation of KRZR, the jetport’s federal designation. Ms. DeVault has served three times as Airport Authority chairwoman.
The Jetport opened January 25, 2013. The runway was expanded to 6,200 feet in 2017 and the number of hangars continues to grow. The Jetport was named Tennessee Airport Of The Year in 2014 by the Tennessee Aeronautics Commission.