Juneau's $50,697 tower roof match takes nearly half the airport's capital reserve

Juneau International Airport's control tower will get a new roof, roof hatch and access ladder, all of them dating to the tower's original 1987 construction, under a project the City and Borough of Juneau Assembly funded on Aug. 17.

The Assembly adopted an appropriating ordinance committing $50,697 from Airport Capital Reserves as the local match for the work. The Federal Aviation Administration has awarded $963,247 through its Airport Terminal Program, bringing the total estimated project cost to $1,013,944. The ordinance took effect on adoption.

Design is anticipated to begin in 2026, with construction expected in 2027 upon receipt and appropriation of the executed FAA grant agreement. Airport staff have issued a request for proposals for design and are working toward a final grant application by Oct. 30.

The Airport Board voted July 9 to forward-fund the match. The reserve held $109,876 at the time, so the commitment took nearly half of it. Airport Board materials for its Aug. 13 meeting list the Capital Reserve balance at roughly $59,000, pending year-end reconciliation and FAA approval of a Passenger Facility Charge application. That application is under public notice; if the FAA approves it, previously forward-funded costs can be reimbursed back into the reserve.

The tower sits atop the passenger terminal at the building's southwest corner. Airport planning documents note the terminal and tower were built by the City and Borough of Juneau and leased back to the FAA, and the 2018 Airport Sustainability Master Plan found the tower "is in need of upgrade or relocation decisions."

The FAA's FY2026 program list describes the Juneau award as funding design and construction of a tower roof that "has reached its useful life."