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Pitkin County to accept $9.64 million FAA grant for Aspen runway design
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners authorized staff to move forward with an FAA/IIJA grant of $9,638,173 to fund runway design at the Aspen Pitkin County Airport; the grant covers most of initial design costs and will be followed by additional FAA entitlement funds and state/local match for remaining expenses.
The Pitkin County Board of County Commissioners moved March 25 to accept a Federal Aviation Administration grant of $9,638,173 toward runway design at the Aspen Pitkin County Airport.
Dan Bartholomew, an airport consultant filling in for staff, told commissioners the award combines FAA discretionary and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds and is largely intended as a "use it or lose it" pot of COVID-era infrastructure money that the FAA prefers to spend first. He said the grant will cover roughly 95% of the initial design scope and that the remainder will come from entitlement funds and state or sponsor match.
The grant package will carry standard FAA grant assurances covering workplace policies and contractor responsibilities. Bartholomew said airport operations staff, the selected project manager (Kimley Horn) and a construction manager will monitor contractor compliance.
Why it matters: The award is the primary financial step that will allow runway design to move ahead on a compressed timetable; staff said the resolution will be on the April 8 public hearing agenda and, if approved, signed before the FAA's April 17 deadline.
Board action and next steps: The commission set the project for a public hearing on April 8 and authorized the chair to sign the infrastructure investment grant project (3-08-003-068-2026) if the resolution is approved. County staff said additional entitlement grants and state/local matching funds will follow during later phases of the design and construction process.
Bartholomew emphasized the grant does not change ordinary federal assurances: "This is just like any other grant you would have signed with the FAA. Grant assurances apply," he said.
The board voted to move the resolution forward at the meeting.
