COLUMBUS, Ind. – A new air traffic control tower is coming soon to Columbus Municipal Airport thanks in part to a grant from the Cummins Foundation Architecture Program. A collaboration with the Federal Aviation Administration and engineering firm Woolpert will lead to the new 100-foot-tall tower.
With its total operations rising approximately 40% over the past seven years, the Columbus Municipal Airport is one of the fastest-growing general aviation airports in Indiana. Last year alone, the airport reported more than 55,000 aviation operations.
“The Columbus Air Traffic Control Tower has been a staple since the military base of the 1940s, but it is in dire need of replacement to provide quality service to tenants and transient aircraft,” said Brian Payne, Columbus Municipal Airport Director.
“We are excited about this unique opportunity to contribute to Columbus’ wonderful architectural history and heritage,” said Jim Schacht, Vice President of Corporate Responsibility for Cummins Inc. and CEO of the Cummins Foundation.
The Cummins Foundation Architecture Program recently supported the construction of a new building for Ivy Tech Community College at the AirPark Columbus College Campus that was completed earlier this year.
Woolpert has been hired by the Columbus Board of Aviation Commissioners to complete the structural design of a new $11.5 million air traffic control tower at Columbus Municipal Airport. The new tower will replace the airport’s existing 80-year-old tower and will be upgraded to align with current Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) standards, including sighting, backup cooling and power, security, fire and life safety, and FAA equipment.
