Waterloo Council Approves $420,000 in Security Upgrades for New Airport Flights
WATERLOO — The city will spend more than $400,000 to get the airport in line with regulations required as larger aircraft prepare to begin landing there in April.
The City Council approved three contracts in the amount of $420,317 for security upgrades in its Waterloo Regional Airport terminal last week.
The money will come from Iowa Department of Transportation aviation funding grants.
K&W Electric of Cedar Falls will upgrade access control systems and video surveillance systems for a cost of $220,456 and $126,121, respectively. The city awarded a bid to Peters Construction of Waterloo for $73,740 to enhance door security, but officials plan to approve a change order to decrease the price.
These upgrades come after the city announced early morning departure and late night arrival flights will come back to the airport. Beginning April 4, a 6 a.m. departure to Chicago O’Hare International Airport will replace the current 9 a.m. flight. Starting June 5, that flight will leave at 5 a.m.
Also in April, the last flight arriving to the airport will come in at 10 p.m., and then at 11 p.m. in June. A new aircraft, the Embraer E170, will be used for these new flight times. The plane has three seating options and a capacity of 65 passengers.
With the changes, the airport will become a Category 3 airport under the Transportation Security Administration, which requires the upgrades.
In other business, the council approved:
* Tax exemptions for a new 10-unit apartment complex at 2539 W. Third St. valued at $1.8 million.
* Awarding a bid to Peterson Contractors, of Reinbeck, in the amount of $1.6 million for improvements to the wet detention pond at Sunnyside Creek.
* A site plan amendment for the new Troy’s Sandwiches restaurant at 3146 Kimb
* all Ave.
* A resolution establishing the dates of legal fireworks usage for the Fourth of July holiday as July 4 and July 5.
PHOTOS: UNI vs. Drake, 022325
© 2025 Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (Waterloo, Iowa). Visit www.wcfcourier.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
