Stimulus money may fund new tower at PTI

Airport officials at PTI reportedly want to use federal stimulus money to build a new control tower at the Piedmont Triad International Airport.

State Sen. Don Vaughan (D-Guilford) told local freelance journalist/blogger Erik Huey in an interview that PTI brass recently met with the Greensboro area legislator to explore the possibility of tapping some of the $6.1 billion coming into North Carolina from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Sen. Vaughan, who sits on the Select Senate Committee for Economic Recovery, said the current control tower's height is of concern to airport officials because of the lack of a clear vantage point and sight lines toward the airport's new runway and associated taxiways.

"I met with [PTI executive director] Ted Johnson, and also brought in NCDOT Secretary Gene Conti and DOT Board chairman Doug Galyon...we toured the new runway, the new FedEx and HondaJet facilities and I sent a letter on behalf of the airport requesting what stimulus money that could be used for the airport and how it can best be used," Vaughan said. "The height of the [existing] tower is a big concern to airport officials, you can’t see the traffic. It will be a critical need for the airport."

It is uncertain what the timeline would be for constructing a new tower, or if one would be funded using federal stimulus money. Vaughan said his committee is hosting at least 2-3 hearings a week while mulling through various stimulus money requests from municipalities statewide.