Quincy Regional Airport will soon receive $5.9 million for upgrades and repairs.
Mayor Mike Troup said the money includes $3.5 million to build an aircraft apron and road, $2.4 million for a T-hangar and taxiway, with the bulk of that money coming from the state. The city will have to contribute a small portion for the work.
It’s part of the $94 million that Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and the Illinois Department of Transportation announced on Wednesday, would be awarded to improve public airports throughout the state. The $94 million unlocks $11.5 million in local contributions for a total investment of $105 million, the largest statewide capital investment program for airports in state history.
“We’re delivering $94 million to airports throughout the state including funding at St. Louis Regional, Central Illinois Regional, Peoria International, Quincy Regional, Rochelle Municipal, and many more aviation sites around the state,” Pritzker said. “Crucially, these dollars are going, first and foremost, to projects that might not otherwise be eligible for the full federal funding that they need to finish.”
The 96 projects will include planning, construction, reconstruction, development and improvement of public airports to increase safety and efficiency. The governor’s office said communities also will benefit from increased aviation access, good-paying jobs during construction and long-term opportunities for workforce expansion.
Quincy Mayor Mike Troup said none of it will have to come from local taxes and will generate more money.
“Both of these projects will allow the airport to lease and have a financial flow of dollars on an annual basis going forward from rentals of hangars or some other revenue flow that this is going to help generate,” Troup said
However, Troup said they don’t know when they will receive the money or when they can start the projects.
Among the projects receiving funding, with local contributions included:
A total of $150 million of state bonds is identified in Rebuild Illinois for the state’s airports, with $6 million already committed to an air traffic control tower at Lewis University Airport in Romeoville and additional funding committed to airports in Waukegan and Metro East.
The Illinois aviation system is one of the largest in the nation, made up of more than 850 individual landing facilities. Illinois is home to everything from O’Hare International Airport to municipal airports and private grass strips, contributing more than $95 billion annually to the state’s economy.
https://www.wgem.com/2021/12/02/quincy-regional-airport-get-nearly-6-million-repairs-upgrades/