By Bonnie Culverhouse

City of Minden’s new airport hangar project has received a $585,000 boost by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

This grant will provide federal funding to construct a 3,600 sq. ft. sponsor-owned hangar for aircraft storage to help the airport be self-sustaining by generating revenue.

In February, the Minden City Council awarded a bid to build one 60X60-foot hangar and one 80X60-foot hangar to Southern Craftsman Construction LLC of Alexandria in the amount of $1,164,000.

Mayor Nick Cox said the City of Minden originally allocated $600,000 from American Rescue Plan (ARPA) to cover the other half of the project.

“The deadline to spend it was December 31, 2024, so it will still come from ARPA, indirectly, but through our budget,” Cox said.

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) announced last week FAA) is granting Louisiana a total of $1,627,346.00 in funding from his Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) to improve airport infrastructure in Minden, Shreveport, Monroe, Vivian, Mansfield, Eunice, and Reserve.

“Communities always want their airports to leave a good first impression,” Cassidy said. “These investments will help them do so. They’ll boost safety, support local economies, and help smaller airports better serve their communities.”