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City wins $1.5M Route 66 brownfield grant; drainage master study estimates nearly $49M for regional improvements
Summary
City project manager Terry Curtis said a Northern Arizona Council of Governments Route 66 coalition brownfield grant of $1.5 million will fund Phase I/II environmental assessments and that the airport/industrial-park former landfill was nominated and inspected.
City economic development staff told the Airport Industrial Park Advisory Commission that the Northern Arizona Council of Governments Route 66 coalition won a $1,500,000 brownfield grant to pay for Phase I and II environmental assessments across Northern Arizona, and the airport/industrial-park area has been nominated and accepted for assessment.
The grant will fund Phase I records reviews and, where warranted, Phase II sampling and investigation to determine the extent of hazardous materials (lead, asbestos, underground storage tanks, etc.). Staff emphasized the assessments are diagnostic: finding a contamination issue does not in itself trigger enforcement, and remediation programs at ADEQ may be available if property owners opt to pursue cleanup.
Terry Curtis, city project manager for economic development, said she nominated the airport/industrial-park former landfill at the north end of the property; assessors visited the site for an initial evaluation and staff expects a Phase II assessment could follow if Phase I indicates potential hazards. Mohave County staff and long-time airport employees provided historical information that supported the nomination.
Why it matters: A Phase II study could show whether land near the airport is suitable for future industrial or aviation development without costly remediation, or what remediation would be required. Staff said ADEQ has remediation programs that could be explored but remediation funding is not guaranteed.
Separately, the airport master drainage study — prepared in coordination with JE Fuller and others — modeled 100-year flood conditions and proposed both airfield and off-site infrastructure improvements. Staff presented a preliminary, planning-level cost estimate of about $2.0 million for on‑airfield improvements and roughly $46.9 million for off‑site and industrial-park drainage work, for a combined planning estimate of about $48.9 million.
Key findings included: much of the airport's storm infrastructure dates to World War II; a major eastern wash and berm has repeatedly experienced blowouts and can send several feet of water across runways in a 100‑year event; and some existing inlets, channels and culverts are undersized and in poor condition. The report proposed a mix of actions including berm repair, new culverts and inlets, expanded channels and coordinated off-site conveyance improvements tied to future industrial-park development.
Funding and eligibility: Staff said some improvements may be eligible for FAA or ADOT funding but the eastern berm that receives runoff before it reaches the airfield is likely outside the FAA-eligible airfield limits and would not qualify for federal airport grants; staff said alternative approaches will be needed for that berm. Several suggested large off-site items — including one channel estimated at about $18 million and other connector/channel work estimated at multi‑million-dollar amounts — will require coordination with developers and other agencies.
Next steps: staff will publish the drainage study for planning purposes, continue the Brownfield assessment process and follow up with ADEQ on possible remediation pathways. Commissioners asked staff to track available grant programs and to include drainage priorities in capital planning.
