Groundbreaking for new air traffic control tower at Peoria’s airport

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — Elected officials, airport employees, and airport board members were on hand Monday morning to herald in a new era for the Gen. Wayne A. Downing Peoria International Airport.

Ceremonial gold shovels were used to turn the first clumps of dirt for the new air traffic control tower.

The airport has received $30 million dollars for the project thanks to grants, federal funding and raising money locally.

Airport Director Gene Olson says they still need to raise $27 million dollars through more grants or locally. That would go specifically to build the 146-foot tower.

Oslon says this day has been a long time coming.

“I came here in 2009, and we’ve been working on this on this since day one,” he said. “It’s exciting, but we still have a ton of work ahead of us.”

The existing tower has been in operation since 1959.

Olson says the current tower has ran its course. The current tower isn’t complaint with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and it’s too short to see all of the airport’s runways. Plus, the building has asbestos and thus, needs to be remediated.

Attending the groundbreaking were several lawmakers including U.S. Reps. Darin LaHood, a Peoria Republican, and Eric Sorensen, a Rockford Democrat, as well as state Sen. Sen. Dave Koehler, showing support from both sides of the aisle.

Olson said this project wouldn’t be what it is without the lawmakers help.

“Cheri Bustos (who didn’t run for reelection) before Eric Sorenson and then Eric Sorenson has stepped right in and continued the support of Darin LaHood,” he said. “His staff was heavily involved in writing the language for the bipartisan infrastructure law that actually made this project possible.”

Construction will begin on the main administrative building that sits underneath the tower, and the project is expected to take up to three years. The location of the tower will be near the current tower that’s being used.

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