COLUMBUS, Ind. – The Columbus Municipal Airport has announced the receipt of additional funding for the construction of the new Air Traffic Control Tower (Tower).
“We have now secured 100% of the funding required to construct the control tower through the award of an additional grant by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA),” said Brian Payne, Columbus Municipal Airport Director. “The collaborative nature between the architect, contractor, and the Airport shows a clear vision toward enhancing the rich architectural heritage of Columbus.”
The new Tower will replace the airport’s existing 80-year-old Tower. It will be upgraded to align with current FAA Air Traffic Control Tower standards, including sighting, backup cooling and power, security, fire and life safety, and FAA equipment.
The Columbus Tower has already garnered attention in the architectural world by its nomination in the Future Project: Infrastructure category at the World Architecture Festival taking place November 12-14, in Miami. The new Tower nomination sits among ten other visionary designs from around the world.
Columbus Municipal Airport also announces it has selected Force Construction Company, Inc. (Force) to build the new 128-foot-tall Tower, in collaboration with the FAA and Woolpert, an aviation-focused engineering firm. The Cummins Foundation Architecture Program is supporting the project with a design grant.
Clayton Force, President and CEO of Force Construction Co., Inc., commented, “Our team is excited to be a part of this project that will add to the rich architectural legacy of Columbus and strengthen a vital part of our region’s economy. The new air traffic control tower will bring construction jobs to our community and will showcase the skills of the men and women of our area’s building trades, who help to make bold designs a reality.”
Force will work with the architect, Marlon Blackwell Architects, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, as well as the multi-disciplinary Woolpert team, whose expertise in aviation will be critical in the construction of the new air traffic control tower.
A groundbreaking ceremony will be held at the Columbus Airport on Monday, November 17. Construction is expected to begin in December 2025, with completion scheduled for Summer 2027.
