Gateway Airport in Mesa receives $13.7M grant for new control tower

PHOENIX — Coming off its busiest year to date, Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport is set to make a major infrastructure improvement thanks to a multimillion-dollar federal grant.

The Federal Aviation Administration awarded the East Valley airport with a $13.7 million grant toward building a new air traffic control tower, the agency announced Tuesday.

Ryan Smith, the airport’s director of communications, told KTAR News 92.3 FM on Thursday that the tower will cost about $30 million and is expected to be funded by grants over the next three years.

“What this does is set us up for future growth,” Smith said. “With a taller tower, we’re able to handle the expected the expected growth Gateway Airport is going to have over the next 10 to 15 years.”

The grant comes after the airport served nearly 1.8 million passengers in 2019, a record for the facility near Power and Ray roads.

Smith said a new tower is needed because of the airport’s growth and the current tower’s outdated features.

The new tower will be 50% larger and will double its cab space, according to Smith.

“Without this tower, it would be difficult to grow at the same numbers and handle the same amount of air traffic we anticipate,” Smith said.

Construction on the new tower is scheduled to begin in September and will create about 350 jobs, Smith said.

It is expected to completed and in use by early 2022.

Flights won’t be affected by construction of the new tower.

“This is a grant that has been years in the making,” Smith said. “This is a huge commitment from the FAA and we’re really grateful.”

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Taylor Kinnerup contributed to this report.

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