The V.I. Port Authority has accepted two Federal Aviation Administration grants totaling $30,614,900 for the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting station at Cyril E. King Airport. The package combines a $15,394,836 Airport Infrastructure Grant with a $15,220,064 Airport Improvement Program award.
VIPA also confirmed that a $31,494,055 construction contract with J. Benton Construction has been awarded after a legal review delayed action in August. The public meeting account did not establish when the poll vote approving the contract occurred or disclose the legal conclusion that cleared it to proceed.
Plans call for replacing the existing station with an approximately 22,000-square-foot, three-story concrete facility serving aircraft rescue and firefighting operations. VIPA approved up to $3,522,500 for Stantec Consulting Services to provide construction administration, inspections, engineering, commissioning and grant support over an expected 17-month construction period.
Both federal awards use a 90-percent federal and 10-percent local structure. VIPA listed operating-revenue contributions of $1,720,537 and $1,691,118 for the two grants, while its share of Stantec's construction-phase work is listed at $352,250.
The first formal grant amount differs by about $90,000 from the $15,485,255 listed in the FAA's earlier public announcement. The authority did not explain the difference during Monday's meeting. The approvals advance the project, but they do not indicate an immediate change to passenger service.
VIPA should publish the two grant agreements, contract award and legal-review determination on a project page that reconciles the federal amounts and tracks the local match, temporary-station plan, construction milestones, change orders and completion date.
Source published September 15, 2026. Read the original reporting or release for the complete record.
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