Craig Daily Press

Craig — With funding for renovations at the Moffat County Regional Airport seemingly secure, county officials expect to open bids for two projects there June 3.

Officials plan to install a new terminal building and repave the parking lot. Both have fallen into disrepair.

Airport Manager Jerry Ho­­berg said he expects a Federal Aviation Administration grant to come through, but it’s not a done deal, yet.

“I’m 99 percent sure that the FAA will fund us,” he said. “But I don’t have anything signed in front of me.”

Per FAA policy, Hoberg said, the agency doesn’t write its checks until it sees project bids. To Hoberg’s knowledge, the FAA is set to contribute $112,500, the most of three agencies.

The Colorado Department of Transportation and Department of Local Affairs have committed dollars to the project. CDOT approved $58,125, and DOLA agreed to grant $92,673 with a $35,000 match from the city and county in in-kind services, such as tearing up the old parking lot.

City and county officials also each approved $4,000 in cash contributions to match some of the grants. The grants themselves will be used to work together and match each other, as well, Hoberg said.

Renovating the terminal building and the parking lot has been a long time coming, Hoberg said.

The terminal’s roof leaked and sagged in places and had not been renovated for some time.

“The old (terminal) was built in the” 1940s, Hoberg said. “It’s kind of an eyesore. When new people fly in and land, you want something that’s going to look nice to be the first thing they see.”

Moffat County has a small airstrip, Hoberg said, and it doesn’t go unused. Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, which owns most of the Craig power plant, uses the airport two to three times a week, and other flights come in and out routinely.

Official plans are to install a manufactured or metal-frame building about 1,300 square feet in size and then demolish the old terminal sometime later, possibly next year.

The parking lot will be torn up and then repaved, Hoberg said.

He added the county may go back to DOLA for additional funding for the parking lot.

“We bid the parking lot to DOLA last year,” Hoberg said. “With the rising fuel costs — and asphalt and they have to use oil to put the asphalt together and that’s going up — the prices could be a lot different than they were last year.”

Hoberg said he would like to see work get started at the beginning of July, but he’s not sure that will happen. North­west Colorado is in the middle of the building season, he said, and most contractors likely are busy.

Depending on when work starts, both the terminal and the parking lot could be finished this year, or one could be pushed back to next year.

Hoberg said construction work should not impact the Air Fest, planned as part of the Craig Centennial Celebration on July 19.

Officials plan on several Air Fest events, including helicopter rides, military flyovers, World War II-era planes on display, live music, and food and drinks.

Parking will be at Loudy-Simpson Park with shuttles available to take people to the airport.

Admission fees are $5 a person, but children 12 years old and younger get in free.