Project awaits FAA funding

There’s no set start date for construction of the runway extension at Portland Municipal Airport, but airport leaders hope to receive grant funding in 2018 or 2019.

The new extension, estimated to cost $3 million, will extend the airport’s runway from its current length of 4,000 feet to 5,500 feet, allowing larger airplanes to land. The project is contingent upon the city receiving a grant from the Federal Aviation Administration that would cover 90 percent of the cost.

Jason Clearwaters of Butler, Fairman & Seufert, the airport’s engineering firm, said the FAA has already awarded grants for 2017. He said the most likely date to receive grant funding is September 2019, but the airport could receive it a year earlier if other airport’s projects fall through.

“We’ve asked for funding for the construction in 2018, we’re being told it’s probably gonna be more like 2019. Nothing is official. Until you get a grant offer from the FAA, there’s no guarantee,” Clearwaters said. “If there’s money available, we can be ready to move in 2018. We’ve historically been able to slide extra projects in with what we refer to as year-end money. We would love to get the grant in 2018. Grants come in September, so whatever year we get the grant, we won’t start (construction) until spring of the following year.”

The project is also planned with the expectation of receiving additional grant funding from Indiana Department of Transportation, though the percentage is dependent on legislative decisions on how much state money will be assigned to airport improvements. In the past, Indiana has contributed up to 5 percent of the total cost, but that number could be reduced as the state legislature focuses funds on road and bridge infrastructure improvements.

“The state in the past was able to contribute 5 percent. Last year they lowered it to 4 percent. With the new budget bill, the way it’s written now, it would likely drop to 2.5 percent,” Clearwaters said. “Fortunately, the mayor and the City of Portland and the board have been very good with their finances at the airport.”

Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman said the city is prepared to move forward with the project regardless of if the state’s contribution is lower than expected.

“If you look at the cumulative capital development, capital improvement and capital cigarette tax funds, all have several hundred thousand in there that is to be used for capital improvements,” Geesaman said.

In September, the FAA approved the airport environmental assessment.

Then in October, the deal closed on the purchase of 44 acres on the west end of the airport, to accommodate the new extension.

The next step in the process is to complete the grant application for the planning stage. According to Clearwaters, a stream on the east side of the airport’s newly purchased property will have to be enclosed and directed underground. Indiana Department of Environmental Management has requirements that will need to be followed in regard to the stream mitigation project.

Design services for the project will cost about $298,000 total, with expected contributions of 90 percent from the FAA and 2.5 percent from INDOT.

The steps forward in the last two years came after Portland Board of Aviation received FAA approval for the extension in January 2015. The project had been in the discussion and planning stages since 1999.

In addition to the extension, there are other capital improvement projects planned for the airport in the next five years. Though exact dates haven’t been set, airport officials hope to expand and reconstruct sections of runway apron, allowing for additional airplane parking.

“Compared to some other similar sized airports, Portland has pretty constrained (aircraft) parking,” Clearwaters said. “We’re looking to remove and replace what’s there and also expand.”

After the apron work, the airport would install a wildlife control and security fence on the boundaries of the property, and construct a new hangar.

Geesaman is optimistic about the impact the improvements will have on Portland’s economy.

“I believe that this is just another economic development tool in our toolbox,” he said. “There’s so much activity going on at the airport, we look forward to adding the extension.”