By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
The St. Joseph City Council this week unanimously approved $2.5 million to go toward design and planning for a $15 million project at Rosecrans Memorial Airport - a project that would see the construction of a new terminal and air traffic control tower.
Airport general manager Abraham Forney says state senator Dan Hegeman helped secure this funding at the state level, so that the city and the airport could begin work on this important renovation project.
"The building was built in the 50s," Forney said of Rosecran's terminal building and air traffic control tower. "Senator Hegeman knew it was in dire need of replaced, so he helped us get the project underway, getting $2.5 million from the state."
This project, Forney says, would rebuild the terminal, air traffic control tower and also the snow removal equipment building, which will soon be torn down by the 139th Airlift Wing, which is moving its headquarters from the south to the north end of the property at Rosecrans.
"Where our (snow) equipment is right now will go away in the very near future," he explained. "We'll need a new spot to put our snow removal equipment, and this will be the best spot for it."
Rosecrans is also in the process of starting a major runway overhaul project. The St. Joseph City Council passed an emergency ordinance to authorize construction on the runway back in mid-September. Construction on that project is set to begin next fall.
Forney clarified that the runway project is separate from the $15 million terminal and traffic control tower project, and each project gets prioritized by the FAA when state and federal grants are applied for.
"When we have projects (like the runway), they are the highest priority," Forney explained. "Projects like the tower get knocked down on the priority scale, and it's hard to get funding. So, having Senator Hegeman put this money is going to be huge for us."
The $2.5 million that the council just approved will go mostly toward design and planning for the tower and terminal. Forney says the next step is to go to the federal level to apply for funding and raise the rest of the money needed to finish this project.
"We're using that ($2.5 million) for design and getting it shovel ready," Forney said. "So, when we go to the federal government and ask them for some money to replace this tower, then we'll be shovel ready."
Just like the runway project, Forney says this terminal and air traffic control tower project is crucial and also an exciting step toward renovating Rosecrans, which brings in over $200 million annually between the Air National Guard's use of the facility and also the corporations and businesses who use the airport.
"Our tagline is 'it's the global link to the Midwest,'" Forney said. "It really is. We have different nations that fly in at the 139th. We have numerous corporations who fly in and do business in the city of St. Joe."
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