Wasilla City Council accepts FAA grant for airport expansion

Work continues on the Wasilla Municipal Airport expansion and it got a big boost with the receipt of up to $12M in grant money from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The funds would be used for Taxiway K and other related improvements.

This project will construct approximately 2,000 linear feet of taxiway, 130,000 square feet of aircraft parking apron, 2,350 linear feet of access road, and approximately 334,800 square feet of lease lot area.

Tim Johnson told the council that the comments he has heard from pilots have been positive in regards to the expansion, but the one negative in the current plans for the airport is a lack of tie-down spots, and was unsure if there are plans to add more in the construction, though he hopes for them to be considered if not already done.

“The one negative I have heard is the number of tie-down spots available, and the length of the tie-down spots, the list for tied down sub-spots in the future.”

Airplane tie-downs are ropes, cables, and ground anchor points used to secure an aircraft to the ground, preventing movement from wind, storms, and propeller wash. Properly using tie-downs is crucial for preventing damage to the aircraft and other property during adverse weather conditions.

“We’re very excited to be talking about this grant,” said Public Works Director Eric Shaw before giving a summary of the grant.

Shaw explained that the city opened bids for the taxiway extension build, which he said will add a substantial amount of tie-down space as well as a new lease area on the Menard side of the airport. Shaw went on to say that the city received a record number of bidders for the project.

“The request tonight is give the mayor the authority to sign the grant agreement with the FAA, which has a rush as the FAA is approaching the end of their fiscal year.”

Shaw further explained that the FAA will match about 95% with Wasilla putting in the remaining 5% match.

“They (the FAA) will pay for the connection to the runway. They will pay for the taxiway in front. They’ll pay for some more hardstand parking. They’ll actually pay for part of the road that will lead up to this facility and some of the utilities for that,” Shaw explained, adding that the remaining funds will be used to complete the leasable area that the FAA does not pay for.

Shaw clarified that grant is for up to $12M, but that so far, the costs for the expansion will not require the full amount of the grant.

The other part of the public hearing was to authorize the mayor to transfer just over $4.1M from the General Fun to the Airport Fund. That money would go to completing a project that is ready for multiple aviation companies to come in and set up a home base at the airport.

Shaw said that the authorization is for up to $4.1M to be spent, but could not definitively say how much will actually be spent, but said it would be used for the items the FAA cannot fund and project management and other ancillary costs.

“We are very excited that this project is in one large project,” Shaw said, explaining that during the initial designs had included a multi-phase plan, but the FAA asked for a complete package. “This has just really come together.”

Councilman Ian Crafton pointed out that typically, the FAA requires 93.75% and that Wasilla is actually spending less money on the airport expansion than other FAA projects from the past.

“It’s a large pill to swallow, the $4.1M, but what we’re getting out of this is quite a bit.”

Ground was broken on the expansion in September, 2023.

“This project will develop the necessary infrastructure for our airport by fostering public and private partnerships which will rock the economic engine for this region,” Mayor Glenda Ledford said at the time, saying there is a shared vision for Wasilla to become the aviation provision center and that the airport is a priority and driving force for diversifying the economy and bringing valuable jobs to Wasilla and the Mat-Su Borough

The authorization was approved and the next step is to sign official paperwork with the FAA and return to city council for further approval.