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$11 million has been committed to complete the first two phases
"We're about to make great strides on this long-planned project," said Cranbrook mayor Ross Priest about the Cranbrook airport expansion.
"After many people working many long days and hours on this project for the last four and a half years, it's about to come to fruition," Priest said. "So it's exciting to say the least."
Phase I of the project will see the runway extended from its current 6,000-foot length to 8,000 feet, allowing commercial and charter passenger jets from across North America to fly directly to Cranbrook. This length of runway will be able to accommodate jets such as the Airbus 320 and Boeing 757.
Phase II of the project will be the expansion of the airport terminal, from its current 9,400 square feet to approximately 22,000 square feet.
Funding for the $11-million project includes a $4.5-million commitment from the federal government, $4.5 million from the provincial government and $500,000 from municipalities in the region. The City of Cranbrook will borrow the remaining $1.5 million, which it anticipates being able to pay back within 10 years.
Priest said he expects that construction will begin late this year or early in 2006, and that the expanded airport could be operational by late 2006 or early 2007.
To complete the third and final phase of the airport expansion, the City needs to acquire more land from the St. Mary's Band. Additional federal and provincial funding would also be required to complete Phase III, which would allow direct flights from Europe on a 9,000-foot runway and would see further terminal expansion to 33,000 square feet.
But Priest said now that expansion for the North American model has been approved, interest in the project has been phenomenal. He said he has already received several direct calls from various developers, as well as from the mayors of Kimberley and Fernie who have described similar experiences.
"Our idea of regional impact from the expanded Cranbrook airport still holds true," he said.
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