Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport Receives $9M Grant

Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport (SRQ) is upgrading with the help of federal funding.

The airport announced Thursday that it was awarded a $9.1 million grant from the Federal Aviation Administration toward a new Air Traffic Control Tower, ongoing terminal renovations and other improvements, in part funded by the Florida Department of Transportation and the airport.

“We are extremely pleased that the FAA acknowledges the value of the proposed partnership between SRQ and FDOT and we look forward to completing a new ATC tower which will enhance the safety and efficiency of our airfield,” said airport chief executive Rick Piccolo in a statement.

Piccolo requested $6 million from the FAA to build a new tower east of U.S. Highway 41, with matching funds from the SRQ and FDOT, the Herald-Tribune reports.

The grant will also help with capital improvements at SRQ, including an expansion of U.S. Customs & Border Protection Federal Inspection services and airfield taxi lanes.

SRQ received the grant as a part of the Airport Improvement Program, a federal program funded by user fees from airline tickets and fuel surcharges.

Photo credit: Screenshot via the Herald-Tribune