Soccer complex not likely to be redeveloped as part of immediate Idaho Falls airport expansions
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IDAHO FALLS – There are no immediate plans to relocate the Old Butte Soccer Complex to accommodate expansion efforts at the Idaho Falls Regional Airport.
That’s the biggest takeaway from Wednesday’s open house looking at the airport’s master plan. In 2022, the city held a public meeting saying the soccer complex was on land that had been bought by the airport with Federal Aviation Administration grants years earlier. Rick Cloutier, the former airport director, said it was supposed to be reserved for “future aeronautical use” and would need to be relocated.
The issue frustrated many residents and it’s been a hot-button topic ever since.
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During a conversation with EastIdahoNews.com, interim airport director Ron Elliott explained there aren’t any plans to do anything with the soccer complex anytime soon.
“Right now, we can meet all our needs without touching the soccer fields,” Elliott says.
What is being discussed are the results of a comprehensive study of the airport to help identify short and long-term development plans needed to support future aviation demands.
The city held a public meeting at the Idaho Falls Activity Center Wednesday night to discuss the results of its master plan, which got underway in 2021, and get community input to help make decisions going forward. The plan looks at multiple expansion projects, including terminal growth, additional cargo space, putting in a new air traffic control tower, parking and space for rental cars, along with runway and taxiway needs.
“We’re doing a major expansion to the terminal to meet the needs of the commercial side. We expect to double the amount of cargo, so we’re looking at areas to put cargo and we have a few alternatives for that,” says Elliott.
About 150 people attended the meeting. City spokesman Eric Grossarth says one of the main discussion points revolved around proposed options for the small runway on the east side of the airport.
This runway is for general aviation use and is not used as often as the main runway. As a result, it’s not eligible for future FAA funding and one option the airport is considering is to close it.
“If it stays open, it would be a cost to the airport to maintain that runway. If it turned into a taxiway, then it would be eligible for the FAA to assist with maintenance costs,” Grossarth says. “The main runway has a lot more capacity and is nowhere near that threshold.”
Grossarth says the general aviation community is in favor of the small runway staying open because it gives them another place to land that’s close to other hangars in the area.
Others expressed interest in closing it to save the airport money and make room for additional cargo space.
A public comment period will remain open for the next 30 days. Grossarth anticipates a preferred alternative being selected sometime this summer before it’s evaluated by the FAA. The city council will ultimately make the final decision. It’s hard to say when that will happen, but it could be as soon as this fall.
Elliott says expanding the terminal is the highest priority because of the current growth trend. The master plan’s aviation forecast shows exponential growth at the airport since the 2020 shutdown. Aircraft operations, or aircraft that land, take off or conduct a touch-and-go procedure, are expected to double from 20,000 in 2020 to 40,000 by 2041.
Additionally, the number of people boarding a commercial flight is expected to more than triple in that time and air cargo is projected to grow two and a half times what it was doing four years ago.
“We were one of the quickest airports in the nation to come back and hit our pre-COVID numbers,” Elliott says. “This year, we’re already at 275,000 passenger enplanements (the number of passengers boarding a commercial flight) so we’re already (close to the 2026 estimate of 290,000).”
The proposal for the terminal project includes an 18,000-square-foot expansion east of the main runway. It is slated to happen in three phases over the next four years. Expansions to the baggage handling area of the terminal will get underway soon and are expected to be completed in 2026.
Forty million dollars in FAA grants have been approved for the project, which will fund 93.75% of it. The rest of the money would come from airport revenue.
“We’re just trying to make an airport the public is proud of. When you land at the airport, this is your first look at what Idaho Falls is like. It’s your first impression and it’s also your last impression when you leave. That’s why these projects are important,” says Elliott.
To view the master plan in its entirety or make a comment, click here.