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Wyoming Business Council approves loan and grant to help finish Rock Springs regional airport terminal
Summary
The Wyoming Business Council approved a combined loan and grant package to complete the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport terminal modernization after cost increases, contractor turnover and FAA constraints left the partially finished project underfunded. The airport and local governments pledged additional local contributions and a coordination plan for federal awards.
The Wyoming Business Council’s board voted to provide a funding package to help complete the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport’s partially built terminal, approving a Business Council loan and a Business Ready Communities (BRC) grant after extensive staff review and public testimony.
Airport director Devon Breaker told the board the project was more than a building upgrade: it includes expansion of terminal space, installation of a low‑pressure sanitary sewer, and a larger natural‑gas main to support future development on airport property. Breaker and local leaders said the original 2021 project budget rose from roughly $18.6 million to about $41.5 million after a construction manager at‑risk contract was terminated, litigation ensued and supply‑chain and shipping costs jumped.
The airport’s board, Rock Springs city leaders and Sweetwater County representatives described the airport’s role as regional infrastructure for both commercial air service and broader industrial activity in southwest Wyoming. They emphasized recent tenant wins — including an aircraft maintenance company employing about 15 people at six‑figure wages — and said anticipated regional projects would increase demand for air service and related business activity.
Devon Breaker explained a technical constraint that shaped the board’s decision: FAA grant assurances bar an airport from diverting airport revenues off‑site, which means the Business Council cannot require the airport to provide the typical revenue‑recapture payment back to the BRC fund. Breaker described how the airport keeps formula and discretionary FAA funds in designated lines for airport reinvestment and said the airport had already invested millions in on‑airport upgrades.
The board discussed local capacity and the appropriate split of funding. Directors asked whether city, county and airport funds could be reduced if other federal or private awards materialize; county and city officials confirmed memoranda of understanding that the local partners would proportionally reduce their draws if additional federal discretionary awards arrive. After debate, the board approved a combined loan and grant package with a provision that any additional outside funding would first reduce the Business Council grant amount before reducing the loan.
The board emphasized that approval reflected both the airport’s demonstrated local investment and the facility’s regional economic role. The airport’s team said the project would unlock additional airport property for development and extend air service access that local employers rely on.
The board left the final mechanics of any future rebalancing of funds to staff and the airport, with direction to prioritize local contributions and to avoid violating FAA obligations.
