Energy-efficient doors and windows, LED lights, a fresh coat of stain and a new roof are on the list of possible upgrades to the Challis Airport pilots’ lounge after $30,000 in supplemental CARES funds became available from the Federal Aviation Administration.
Mayor Mike Barrett said city workers are collecting cost estimates and seeing what they can afford with the federal stimulus money. Hoping to have all the numbers by the middle of next month, Barrett said work on the lounge could begin in October.
Barrett said he learned the money was “coming down the pipe” last summer, when $4.2 million was being spent to upgrade the airport’s runway and instrument approach system. The stimulus is meant for maintenance and operating costs. Because most of the airport received a facelift last year, Barrett said the only place that still needed work was the lounge.
Challis was originally pegged to receive $21,000 in supplemental funding, Barrett said. In June he was told $9,000 had been added to the stimulus, which came from the $1.9 trillion federal COVID-19 stimulus bill.
“It’s always nice when you get a little extra, as opposed to having it taken away,” Barrett said.
Airport Board member Pete Nelson told Barrett the lounge improvements come at a good time. More flights have been coming and going because of the improved runway, Barrett said, and more interest has been shown in renting hangar space.
To keep up with the increased use and to make the airport more appealing, Barrett said the plan is to prioritize what city staff knows can be done with the $30,000. Because the lounge’s roof is structurally OK, Barrett said a new roof may not be completed. If all the projects on the list come in under $30,000 the mayor said they might also replace the sign that directs pilots toward the lounge.
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