Grosse Ile commission approves $448,788 MDOT grant for taxiway joint repairs; managers outline five‑year airport plan

The Grosse Ile Airport Commerce Park Commission voted to approve an agreement with the Michigan Department of Transportation under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that covers design and construction for joint repairs on taxiways Charlie, Echo and Foxtrot at an estimated project cost of $448,788.

Airport Commerce Park Manager Janelle told commissioners the state would cover the commission’s local share for this project, meaning the work would have “$0 hit cost to us” locally. She described the item as part of a draft Airport Capital Improvement Plan that laid out projects the airport will seek funding for over the next five years.

The commission’s approval follows a presentation by Janelle explaining how MDOT evaluates grant applications. She said the state uses a pavement management program tied to grant assurance No. 11 and a pavement condition index (PCI) to prioritize pavement work. The manager said the airport submitted a draft ACIP with projects that include taxiway connectors, taxi lanes between hangars, the apron in front of the T-hangars and work related to runway 01/17. She told commissioners the A2 connector project is being targeted for 2026 and that the beacon light would be replaced with LED in 2026 as well.

Janelle described other recent and ongoing local spending and preparation: about $83,000 on pavement corrections, tree removal and related preventative maintenance in 2024–25; roughly $30,000 on tree removal last year; about $15,000 on annual weed control; and an upfront design payment of about $38,000 that she said will be reimbursed from the grant when awarded. She also said the airport paid additional local amounts to complete crack‑seal work that were not included in the state program and expects to fund some local shares for designs that are not re‑funded by the state.

In the presentation, Janelle outlined efforts to position Grosse Ile for emerging aviation opportunities, including outreach to Advanced Air Mobility groups, attendance at Michigan Mobility and Move America events, and a pending DTE pilot grant to host technology demonstrations. She said the airport is working with partners including the Michigan Flight Museum and local flight training operators and has engaged with companies such as AirspaceLink and others to explore public‑private partnerships that could strengthen applications for discretionary funding.

Commission discussion touched on the status of runway 01/17 as a legacy crosswind runway and its eligibility for discretionary funding. Commissioner Daryl said the crosswind designation matters for safety and funding. Janelle said the airport completed required land‑use compliance and that recent reauthorizations now allow some legacy crosswind runways to compete for discretionary awards.

The commission voted to approve the MDOT agreement after a motion and second. The vote was taken by voice and the motion carried.

Janelle said the ACIP remains a draft pending MDOT confirmation of funding and schedules; she promised a final ACIP when those details are confirmed. She also recommended staff and commissioners work together on the next budget to allocate funds for panel replacements, crack sealing and other preventative measures to preserve apron usability going into winter.

The commission’s action authorizes staff to execute the MDOT agreement and continue ACIP work with MDOT and FAA to pursue the listed projects and discretionary funding opportunities.