Rosecrans Receives More Money for Air Traffic Control Project

Aug. 7—Rosecrans Memorial Airport is slowly receiving the necessary funds for the air traffic control tower project.

It began with $2.5 million from the state of Missouri. Those funds went to the design of the project, which includes a brand new air traffic control tower, terminal building and snow removal building.

This year, the state allocated an additional $2 million for the project. On the federal side, Congressman Sam Graves, R- Mo., just announced that $1.8 million will go to the project, totaling about $4 million contributed from the federal government.

"We've received a little over $8 million for the total project estimated to be around $16 to $18 million," said Public Works Director Abe Forney. "Of course, that price keeps going up with inflation and so on and so forth, but right now we've received a little over $8 million."

Both allotments from the state and federal governments require some form of local match from the city of St. Joseph or Buchanan County.

"We don't know the details yet of the local match, but we're working every day with the state," Forney said. "There's just pots of money everywhere. We're working with everybody to try and get the best that we can so the local government, our city of St. Joe and Buchanan County, don't have to fund as much."

Without all the funds, the project will be done in phases. But Graves said he is working to bring in an additional $5 million, which would accelerate the project. Contractor bids will be out before November, Forney said.

The entire project will build a new terminal building just to the north of the current structure, while the new air traffic control tower will be just to the east. The last step will be the snow removal building to the south. The removal of the current terminal building, which was built in 1952 and has slowly deteriorated, will create room for business development and new hangars.

"We want it done as fast as possible, but that's not realistic," Forney said. "So we will work as the money continues to trickle in."

Quinn Ritzdorf can be reached at [email protected]

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