 |
AGENDA RECOMMENDATION |
Consent Calendar 5.H.
City Council Regular Meeting
- Meeting Date:
- 10/13/2026
Agenda Item:
Resolution applying for airport tower construction funds through the 2027 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act FAA Contract Tower Competitive Grant Program.
Recommendation/Action(s):
Adoption of the attached resolution.
Summary:
As part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the FAA Contract Tower (FCT) competitive program will provide up to $100 million of Fiscal Year 2023 unobligated Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) to sustain, construct, repair, improve, rehabilitate, modernize, replace, or relocate non-approach control towers; acquire and install air traffic control, communications, and related equipment to be used in those towers; or construct a remove tower. The Notice of Funding Opportunity remains open until October 19, 2026.
Mankato Regional Airport is one of 17 sponsor-owned towers conditionally approved for the FAA Contract Tower program and one of 179 airports eligible for the competitive program. Also included in the program are towers already constructed and operating at Anoka County-Blaine and St. Cloud Regional airports.
No cost sharing or matching is required. The Federal cost share of the FCT Competitive Grant Program is 100 percent for all airports eligible to receive grants.
The FAA has asked that these projects be bundled into the tower funding request as they would not be necessary except for the tower project.
The remaining federal eligible cost reserves the state airport fund of $1,265,000 available for local share use.
Groundbreaking is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2027 with substantial completion in summer 2028. Mankato Airport has until April 19, 2029, to complete the FAA Operational Readiness Inspection.
Mankato Regional Airport is one of 17 sponsor-owned towers conditionally approved for the FAA Contract Tower program and one of 179 airports eligible for the competitive program. Also included in the program are towers already constructed and operating at Anoka County-Blaine and St. Cloud Regional airports.
No cost sharing or matching is required. The Federal cost share of the FCT Competitive Grant Program is 100 percent for all airports eligible to receive grants.
The FAA has asked that these projects be bundled into the tower funding request as they would not be necessary except for the tower project.
- Air Traffic Control Tower Construction (remaining)
- Electrical Distribution Building Reconstruction
- Perimeter Road Construction Phase 1
The remaining federal eligible cost reserves the state airport fund of $1,265,000 available for local share use.
Groundbreaking is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2027 with substantial completion in summer 2028. Mankato Airport has until April 19, 2029, to complete the FAA Operational Readiness Inspection.