St. George Construction

A new Airport for St. George and the Surrounding Area

After nearly two decades of planning, studies and financial challenges, the new St. George Municipal Airport is about ready for take-off! The new airport, located five miles southeast of downtown St. George will be five times the size of the current mesa-top airport at 1,200 acres and accommodate jet aircraft to suit the needs of visitors and residents of southwestern Utah well into the future.

In the early 1990’s City of St. George officials recognized the eventual need for a larger airport that would someday accommodate jet aircraft. They began preliminary studies and examined every parcel of ground in and around the city suitable for an airport. After a lengthy selection process, on July 7, 1998 the old Civil Aviation Administration landing strip located in Washington County and southeast of St. George was approved by the city council as the preferred site. Some of the studies to address environmental impacts were met with controversy and required extensive research and more studies.

In September of 2006, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a Record of Decision allowing the city to move forward with planning and design of a new airport. The city immediately began working on a financial plan which included securing over $120 million in FAA grants as well as the sale of the existing property to fund the new airport. The goal was to build and operate the new facility without placing any kind of a tax burden on area residents. Later that year property was acquired and the terminal building, airport aircraft rescue and firefighting facility, fixed Base operations, general aviation, runways, taxiways, lighting and instrumentation were designed and began construction in the fall of 2008.

When open in January 2011, the new St. George Municipal Airport will be able to accommodate larger jet aircraft capable of carrying passengers to Salt Lake City and a number of other regional destinations currently not available. Thousands of acres of developable property adjacent to the new airport will spur long-term economic development growth for all of Washington County. Visitors to the area will find the new airport to be a convenient way to access St. George and surrounding communities which feature: Huntsman World Senior Games, St. George Marathon, St. George Ironman Triathlon, Tuacahn Amphitheater, 13 golf courses, state parks and easy access to four national parks and monuments including Zion National Park.

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About the new SGU Municipal Airport

Financing

• $123 million is being funded by the FAA.
• $37 million is being funded from local sources including sale of the existing airport property as well as miscellaneous city and county revenues.
• No property taxes, income, or sales tax is anticipated to be used for the City’s local share of the cost of this new airport

Location

• SGU is located five miles south-east of downtown St. George
• 1203 acre site located in Southwestern Utah approximately 120 miles East of Las Vegas, Nevada.

Runway and Airport Facilities

• 9,300 ft. (1.8 miles) runway expandable to 11,500 ft.
• Built on 1,200 acres nearly five times the size of existing airport
• Two 50 ft. full length parallel taxiways
• Will meet all FAA safety requirements
• Construction provides hundreds of local jobs in a difficult economic climate
• Will accommodate regional jet aircraft, 737s and Airbus 319s
• Access provided from the new Atkinville Interchange and new Southern Parkway which is part of the proposed regional beltway
• More room for general aviation and fixed base operations
• Full ILS instrumentation and navigational aids will be available
• Completely expandable to allow the City to meet future needs of the community and area
• Thousands of adjacent developable acres to accommodate economic development activities
• Opportunities for other destinations and airlines if and when the market dictates
• Great time to build because of low construction and material costs, with bids coming in at an average of 45% to 50% below 2007 estimates
• New modern terminal building will be constructed
• The total cost of the replacement airport is estimated at $160 million
• Approximately $123 million is coming from FAA grants. These funds are generated by airline ticket sales, user taxes, fuel fees, and are not generated by federal income taxes. These funds can only be used for airport-related projects. Funds are collected nationwide; if the City does not use the approved grants, they will go to another airport project somewhere else in the country
• Approximately $37.5 million in funding including the local match for the replacement airport is coming from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Washington County Transient Room Tax, City of St. George transportation fund, Water Services Department, Utah State and Institutional Trust Lands Administration (SITLA), Community Development Area (CDA) fund and fees collected at current airport.
• Single 9.300 foot long and 150 foot wide runway with one full commercial service taxiway and one partial general aviation taxiway – Class D airspace.
• 34,000 square foot, two story terminal. Special features include a greeting area, an enclosed garden and an architectural style emphasizing the beauty of local geology and vistas.
• Design includes the latest all-weather instrument approach equipment including a variety of GPS, VOR/DME and ultimately ILS approach with MALSAR.
• Fueling facilities.

ST. GEORGE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT HISTORICAL SUMMARY

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