A major $1.1‑million airport upgrade is officially cleared for takeoff in Storm Lake, after the city council approved an apron expansion contract and moved ahead with FAA funding Monday night.
After a public hearing that drew no comments, City Finance Director Tyler Gibbins outlined the apron expansion, explaining that the project will push the hard‑surface area farther south to add aircraft parking and create a secondary taxi route to ease congestion on the existing apron. The engineer’s estimate for the full project — including two alternates — was just under $1.6 million.
Five bids were received, and the apparent low bidder was Wicks Construction, Inc. of Decorah, with a total bid of $1.5 million for the base and both alternates. Based on available Federal Aviation Administration funding, the Airport Commission recommended awarding the base bid and Alternate B only — bringing the contract amount to $1,139,385, about 6 percent below the engineer’s estimate.
Gibbins noted the expansion will be paid for with 95 percent FAA funding and a 5 percent local match the city has already budgeted. The contract can’t move forward until the FAA signs off and issues the grant agreement, but the council cleared its part Monday night — unanimously approving the plans, contract documents, engineering estimate, bid award, and FAA grant applications.
Council members then turned to a second airport item — authorizing a grant application to the Iowa Department of Transportation for the airport’s fuel tank replacement and relocation project. The existing underground tanks are more than 40 years old, and the current fueling cabinets sit in the middle of the apron, blocking taxiing aircraft.
Garrett Jacobs, Aviation Project Manager for Bolton & Menk Inc. — the city’s engineer — told the council the DOT funding request had to be adjusted because airports across Iowa are submitting far more grant applications, prompting the state to signal informal limits on how much each project should request.
The project will move the fuel system to a safer location on the apron and replace the aging tanks with new above‑ground, dual‑wall tanks. The city will request 65 percent DOT funding, with a 35 percent local match spread across fiscal years 2027 and 2028.
