By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
Pending improvements to Rosecrans Memorial Airport could prove to be a big economic boost for St. Joseph.
The St. Joseph City Council has approved spending $2.5 million in state funds to design and plan for a $15 million dollar facelift for Rosecrans.
City council member Madison Davis says the city is working with state and federal officials to secure the money needed to upgrade Rosecrans.
“It serves an important place in the region for through traffic whether it be private aircraft or smaller, charter planes as well as, as many people have mentioned, the 139th; that is a major partner here in the St. Joseph area and the entire region,” Davis tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline.
Plans call for a combination of state and federal funding to construct a new air traffic control tower and terminal at Rosecrans.
Davis says the improvements will provide a better impression to St. Joseph visitors who fly into the city. Davis says Rosecrans is more than just the home base of the Air National Guard’s 139th Airlift Wing.
“We have a decent amount of traffic both on the charter and the Express Flight side, just traffic coming through,” according to Davis. “There’s maybe some opportunity there, if we’re able to improve our air traffic control tower and the terminal and the amenities there, that we could see some increase there.”
Davis says the move of the National Guard 139th Airlift Wing headquarters from the southern portion of Rosecrans to higher ground to the north gives the city a unique opportunity. He says the city needs to consider how best to use the buildings and grounds the 139th is leaving behind.