The Henry County Board of Commissioners has voted unanimously to acquire Tara Field, the airport next to Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The airport has been owned by Clayton County since the mid-1990s.

The Clayton County Board of Commissioners voted to sell the airport, which lies entirely within Henry County, at its own regular meeting Tuesday night. The Henry County commissioners approved the deal on Wednesday.

The purchase price of $17.7 million covers 326 acres of airport property, including a hangar, along with 217 acres of land owned by the Clayton County Water Authority.

Henry County officials say the deal would not have been completed without the help of the Federal Aviation Administration, which has committed $15 million for the purchase as well as additional money for improvements.

Tags: henry county, Federal Aviation Administration, Tara Field, Henry County Board of Commissioners