With its Federal Aviation Administration grant delayed and likely lower than expected, the Moffat County Regional Airport renovation project is in uncertain times, said Ray Beck, Airport Advisory Board chairman.

But, concern does not necessarily mean doubt, said Beck, who is also a Craig city councilor.

“I don’t know that I’m worried about it; I’m concerned about it,” he said. “Until we see the money, we cannot move forward with any of the projects until we get the funding for them.”

County and city officials have said the airport is an important part of the area’s infrastructure and improvements to the terminal building are long overdue.

The proposed renovation project would demolish the current terminal building in favor of a new manufactured or metal-frame building, depending on received funding, Beck said.

The airport’s parking lot also would be repaved.

“We’re excited about the possibilities of improvements to the airport,” Beck said. “Transportation is really important to the area.”

Moffat County originally applied for a $150,000 grant from the FAA in the fall, and at the time officials expected to hear whether it would receive the money by December 2007.

But, the U.S. Congress held onto the appropriations bill containing the FAA funding until the end of February, Beck said.

As of Monday, Beck did not know whether the FAA had approved Moffat County’s grant, but he said signs pointed to the county receiving 75 percent of its request, which would bring in $112,500.

Moffat County, working with the city, would supplement the FAA funding with a possible grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation, Beck said. The current idea is to apply for $75,176 from CDOT, with a small match possibly coming through a second Colorado Department of Local Affairs grant.

Funding for the parking lot project is already secured, Beck said, with an approved $92,673 grant from DOLA.

In addition to $7,500 in cash matches to that grant, the city and county plan to provide $35,000 worth of in-kind labor and equipment.

Beck estimated the problems with securing FAA dollars put a two-month delay on the airport’s projects. If the state agrees to provide the other grants, construction could be done by next winter, he said. The projects originally were slated for September.

It could also fall to two phases, Beck said, with the terminal’s foundation and infrastructure work done this year and the terminal building and parking lot next year.

“Again, these are all preliminary numbers, and we won’t know anything for sure until the money starts coming in,” Beck said.

Moffat County’s airport mostly services medical and privately chartered flights in addition to the permanent staff’s work with agricultural spraying, game surveys and other jobs, said Luke Tucker, a pilot and Airport Advisory Board member.

It averages about 10 to 15 operations a day, he said, adding the number will likely increase in the future along with energy industry activity and increased aviation demand around the country.

A new terminal would help the airport meet new demand and serve the area, Tucker said.

“Our terminal is in dire need of replacement,” he said.