Sarasota Bradenton airport gets $9M for tower

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded more than $9 million to Sarasota Bradenton International Airport, part of which will be used for a new air traffic control tower.

The tower project has been in the works for five years, according to a release, with funds from both the airport, known by the call letters SRQ, and the Florida Department of Transportation. The grant, part of a national program funded by user fees on airline tickets and aviation fuel, is for $9.13 million.

“We are extremely pleased that the FAA acknowledges the vale of the proposed partnership between SRQ and the FDOT and we look forward to completing a new ATC tower which will enhance the safety and efficiency of our airfield,” airport President and CEO Rick Piccolo says in the release.

The FAA grant also includes funding toward an ongoing terminal renovation project; expansion of the U.S. Customs & Border Protection inspection facility; and airfield taxi lanes. Airport officials recently celebrated the 25th anniversary of the construction of its main terminal by burning a copy of the bonds connected to the construction of the building.