STURGIS -  The City of Sturgis is moving forward with plans to improve its airport through two federal grant programs. 

This initiative, supported by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the State of South Dakota, offers significant funding with only a modest local match required.

During the Monday, April 21 Sturgis City Council meeting, representatives from the South Dakota Department of Transportation’s Office of Aeronautics, along with Helms and Associates — the city’s airport engineering firm — provided an overview of two projects – renovation of the airport terminal and construction of parallel taxiway.

Jon Becker, with the Office of Aeronautics in Pierre, joined the meeting via video conference to provide input on the state’s role in the project’s oversight. Helms and Associates representatives Bob Babcock and Brooke Edgar also participated, explaining the current scope of the project and outlining the next steps.

Originally planned as a new terminal, the project was revised to a renovation due to cost considerations. An amendment is expected to be submitted soon reflecting a reduction in scope, as a new water service will no longer be necessary resulting in reduced project costs. 

The terminal renovation is estimated at $495,000 with 95% of the cost paid by the FAA, 2.5% paid by the State of South Dakota with the remaining 2.5% by the city. The cost to the city is $7,500.

The parallel taxiway is estimated at $5,575,000 with FAA and State total of 97.5% and the city at 2.5% totaling $139,375 by the city. The cost in 2025 would be approximately $7,500 for the project design. The construction is expected to begin in 2026, so the remaining city funds would be due in 2026. 

In 2025, FAA has made $2.89 billion available to U.S. airports. To date, nearly $12 billion in Airport Infrastructure Grant (AIG) funding has been made available to airports across the country. The terminal renovation is made possible with AIG grant monies. 

The taxiway is being funded through an Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grant. AIP provides grants to public agencies and in some cases, to private owners and entities, for the planning and development of public use airports that are included in the National Plan of Integrates Airport Systems (MPIAS). For small primary, reliever, and general aviation airports, the grant covers a range of 90-95 percent of eligible costs, based on statutory requirements.

Sturgis Public Works Director Rick Bush explained that this project is a FAA priority due to safety concerns of runway incursions. Although the FAA and the state of South Dakota do not have a set standard, FAA uses North Dakota’s standard that parallel taxiways become a priority due to the risk of accidents when airport-based aircraft exceed 50. 

Over the past 10 years, the number of aircraft based at the Sturgis airport has grown from 34 to over 100. This surge in air traffic has created congestion, with up to five aircraft at times waiting for clearance on the runway. Because there is only one taxiway, an aircraft can land, but then must taxi back on the runway to exit. That means another plane cannot take off or land while that plane is still on the runway. 

With a parallel taxiway, a plane could land and then exit on the second taxiway opening up the runway for another takeoff or landing. That would help with the traffic congestion. 

Safety concerns raised by both the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the South Dakota Office of Aeronautics led to an accelerated funding opportunity for the two projects. In a rare move, the FAA granted Sturgis discretionary funds for the taxiway project in under a year — bypassing the usual three-to-four-year waiting list.

“This is a huge opportunity for our community,” Bush said. “Not only are we receiving funds faster than ever, but for the next two years, we’re eligible for a 97.5% grant rate—saving the city thousands in local costs.”

Also unprecedented is the state’s contribution of general fund dollars toward airport infrastructure — a first in South Dakota history. A significant portion of the terminal project will be funded through this one-time special state grant.

“These grants represent a turning point for Sturgis aviation,” Babcock said. “They improve safety, capacity, and open the door to more growth in air travel and tourism.”