Historic Douglas Municipal Airport Up for Sale

Friday, March 18, 2022 at 10:42 AM ET

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In order to be eligible for grants from the FAA, the airport needs to be part of the National Plan of Integrated Airport System (NPIAS). Douglas Municipal is not. [Douglas Municipal Airport: Save The Airport Facebook Page]

Key Takeaways:

Douglas Municipal Airport (KDGL) is being put up for sale by the city of Douglas, Arizona, due to an estimated $8 million in necessary repairs and capital improvements, compounded by a lack of funding and ineligibility for federal FAA grants.
The city's intent is for the airport to remain a public-use facility under private ownership, with potential development into an airpark, despite mixed community feedback regarding the sale.
Strict conditions are attached to the sale, requiring the buyer to fully reconstruct the runway, maintain public access, honor the airport's historical significance, protect the adjacent museum and park, and repay $467,000 in state grants, with the property reverting to the city if terms are not met.

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When you can’t afford to make necessary repairs to something you own, such as your home or your car, one option is to sell it and let the buyer make the repairs. That is essentially what is happening in Douglas, Arizona, where the mayor and city council ordered the staff to appraise Douglas Municipal Airport (KDGL) and seek community input on its potential sale.

“We have received a lot of comments from the community saying not to sell the airport,” said Luis Pedroza, deputy city manager and city treasurer for Douglas. “We have also received feedback from some to develop it, to potentially a fly-in community.”