Coulouris, Mayes Praise Plan to Use Stimulus Funds for MBS

$12.7 Million In Stimulus Funding To Be Used For Construction of Terminal

June 3, 2009
By: MyBayCity Staff

State Representatives Andy Coulouris (D-Saginaw) and Jeff Mayes (D-Bay City) today praised passage of a plan to use $12.7 million in federal stimulus dollars for the construction of a new terminal at MBS International Airport. The plan, which will help create jobs and boost economic development, now awaits Senate action.

"This is great news for Saginaw," Coulouris said. "The construction of a new world-class terminal building will not only create jobs in our community, it will cement MBS' status as a transportation hub that brings jobs and economic development into Saginaw. This stimulus funding will jumpstart our local economy and help get people back on the job."

The $12.7 million in federal funding will be used in the development of a new terminal building for commercial services. The stimulus dollars will be used to pay for construction, as well as site improvements including drainage, utilities, and the local access road. The building will replace the current terminal, which has been in use since 1965.

The funding is part of a larger bill approved by the Michigan House today, which appropriated $30.4 million in federal stimulus dollars for five airports across Michigan. These funds will be used to pay for various projects, including infrastructure and site improvements, equipment purchases and construction of new facilities.

"Bay City residents and the Great Lakes Bay region have long used MBS as a means to travel and these funds will ensure that MBS remains a destination airport for years to come," Mayes said. "With the economic struggles our state is experiencing, we must be sure that our airports and the thousands of Michigan residents they employ are not left behind."