News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Livingston Airport set to begin modernizing its terminal, thanks to grant money already received and new prospects.
Livingston Airport Board Chair Jason Duke said they will begin the terminal remodel, but are seeking an additional grant to help fund the $32,000 project. He said the Airport Terminal Program grant is highly competitive.
“We have to get the design phase complete to do the presentation for the Airport Terminal Program,” Duke said. “If you have a design you can provide to that program, you’re bid is considered much more competitive than ones that do not.”
The Livingston terminal is over 60 years old, Duke said, and in need of some modernization. Duke said Crossville recently was awarded Airport Terminal Program money, but only about 10 to 20 percent of grants go to small airports.
“That money primarily is aimed at middle to large size airports,” Duke said. “Think Nashville, Knoxville, Chattanooga across the nation, but however smaller airports that have specific uses and has a well-laid-out design for the intent of that money can make applications to that as well.”
The city and county are splitting $1,600 to cover a portion of the costs for the design phase.
“We have a clientele, a group that comes in, and businesses that need to have a presentable airport terminal,” Duke said. “Naturally, if you flew into a town where you want to locate a business and the airport terminal was an old run down metal building, it would definitely connotate what you’d expect to find in that town.”
Duke said the terminal was not designed for the purpose it is serving. He said medical, commercial and military aircraft have increased the traffic to the airport. He said part of the terminal remodel will be to replace the floor, replace plexiglass windows with glass windows, covering the metal outside structure, updating the bathrooms and updating the heating and cooling.
Duke said the airport already receives $159,000 a year for the next five years for broad projects and general maintenance.
