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Airport receives updates on proposed tower and MTSU flight-training move
Summary
Staff reported progress on environmental review and site selection for a proposed control tower and said Middle Tennessee State University's Shelbyville facility groundbreaking is expected in June or July, with a projected 2027 completion for flight training relocation.
Airport staff told the commission the environmental reviews for a proposed air-traffic-control tower have experienced multiagency delays but that the project has moved forward and the next steps will include surveys and FAA review to determine final height and location.
Staff said earlier environmental submissions produced mixed responses from state reviewers and the FAA; after resubmitting a package following Smyrna’s template, staff expect FAA review to proceed. The airport plans to have survey work completed by a consultant (Barge) and then submit the data to the FAA for virtual-height and siting analysis. Staff estimated that those steps could take about a year.
Chad and other staff also updated the commission on a separate project involving Middle Tennessee State University (MTSU). Staff reported MTSU expects a groundbreaking in June or July for a new facility in Shelbyville that will house hangars, offices and classrooms. Staff said MTSU expects the facility to take roughly two years, placing completion and the possible relocation of flight training around summer 2027. Staff added MTSU has larger capital requests under consideration at the state level for additional maintenance labs and facilities; the figure mentioned in the meeting was about a $100 million request (as described by staff).
Commissioners were told Smyrna is undergoing a similar tower relocation process and that the airport's environmental submittals followed the same, preexisting templates that other local airports used to gain clarity from reviewers. Staff flagged that FAA and state staffing constraints have slowed environmental reviews and that following a template helped move the process forward.
Staff said further updates on the tower’s environmental determination and the hanger pad and utility-work projects will return to the commission in subsequent months.
