Anoka County-Blaine Airport gets $51K federal grant to upgrade control tower

Money is part of new federal infrastructure law.

August 4, 2022 at 8:47PM
The Federal Aviation Administration grant program is intended to upgrade and construct control towers owned by airports in small towns and at regional airports such as the Anoka County-Blaine Airport. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Anoka County-Blaine Airport has received a $51,400 grant from the federal government to upgrade its control tower.

The grant, extended through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), is part of President Joe Biden's bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The funds will replace aging "critical operational equipment" at the Anoka airport with new equipment, including upgraded monitors, displays, antenna, receivers and transmitters, according to the FAA.

The FAA grant program is intended to upgrade and construct control towers owned by airports in small towns and at regional airports. Anoka County's grant is one of 20 extended nationwide.

Last month, four Minnesota airports received nearly $25 million in federal funding to upgrade their terminals as part of the same $1 billion federal infrastructure program intended to improve airports nationwide.

The biggest chunk of the money from last month's announcement — $ 21.3 million — will go to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which will use the funding to upgrade its main terminal. The other Minnesota airports receiving funding are in Glencoe, Preston and Bemidji.

about the writer

about the writer

Janet Moore

Reporter

Transportation reporter Janet Moore covers trains, planes, automobiles, buses, bikes and pedestrians. Moore has been with the Star Tribune for 21 years, previously covering business news, including the retail, medical device and commercial real estate industries. 

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