New Airport To Open In 2011

The St. George Municipal Airport in St. George, UT has been awarded a $7 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration to purchase land for a new airport, the second large grant received towards the project in little more than a year.

Construction is scheduled to get underway next spring and the new facility should open in 2011, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

SGU airport manager Michael LaPier said the additional funds will be a big help as there is still a lot of land to be purchased before the $170 million to $190 million project can even begin. 

The city of St. George will match the new grant with five percent, or $350,000.

Larry Bulloch, public works director, says the new airport needs more than 1,300 acres.

Last year, the FAA gave SGU another grant to purchase land, as ANN reported. The program aimed at replacing the current airport received its last cash infusion in September 2006, when FAA Administrator Marion Blakey handed a $17.2 million grant to Mayor Dan McArthur.

"We are pleased that we have successfully acquired a 17.24 acre parcel of land and have completed the negotiations for larger parcel containing 86.23 acres. While there are still several parcels left to acquire, we are engaged in friendly negotiations with the land owners and hope to have more acquisitions under contract in the near future," said LaPier.

Getting even to this point hasn't been easy. Plans for a new airport to support its rapidly growing community were delayed following a court win for The Grand Canyon Trust in 2001. The environmental group accused the FAA of not taking the noise impact to nearby Zion National Park into account when pushing for the airport.

The Salt Lake Tribune reported that situation was rectified, according to city leaders, with the new airport -- located five miles southeast of the city -- offering a noise-abatement approach path designed to keep airplanes west of the park, and as high as possible. The Grand Canyon Trust said it supported the FAA's decision.

FMI: www.sgcity.org/airport, www.faa.gov