FAA Navigation Equipment to Undergo $2.2M Relocation at Regional Airport
- Steve Jurrens
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Northeast Radio SD News – Watertown, SD - The Watertown City Council voted unanimously to approve a Non-Federal Reimbursable Agreement with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), greenlighting the final phase of the city’s airport terminal relocation project. Designated as Project 2601, the agreement governs the relocation of vital communication, weather observation, and instrument landing infrastructure away from the old terminal facilities.
During his presentation to the Council, Airport Manager Ian Meriwether highlighted the structural necessity of the move, noting:
“The agreement with the FAA represents the final remaining component of the terminal reconstruction project. This was initiated in 2021 and, for various reasons, has been pushed multiple times. The agreement would relocate our communications, weather observation, and instrument landing systems equipment from the current facility... to an FAA-approved, engineered, designed, and supplied shelter on the airfield itself.”
Meriwether emphasized the long-term operational protections provided by the agreement:
“Moving this equipment would ensure that our instrument landing system and operations aren’t compromised in the future.”
The total estimated cost of the relocation project stands at approximately $2.2 million. To initiate procurement of the highly specialized equipment and engineered enclosure, the Council authorized Chief Financial Officer Kristen Bobzien to issue a special check allowing for a $1.3 million prepayment directly to the FAA.
The financial footprint on municipal funds is offset by a $700,000 grant secured through the South Dakota Department of Transportation’s Airport Terminal Program. This funding stems from state appropriations originally carved out in the 2024 Senate Bill 144.
Meriwether clarified that funding for this logistical phase was omitted from the initial terminal construction budget because the physical relocation of the main terminal site from its historical footprint constituted a voluntary structural change. While the shift has been carried on the city’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for several years, execution remained frozen until federal engineering assets became available.
Beyond enhancing airfield navigational safety, the project removes a critical bottleneck for regional vocational education. The old terminal building is currently occupied by Lake Area Technical College (LATC).
Once the FAA has fully vacated and decommissioned its historical machinery within the structure, LATC plans to demolish the old building to expand the campus footprint to accommodate its rapidly growing aviation education programs. Following Meriwether’s briefing, the Council passed the authorization without discussion.
