St. George can sell land for airport

SALT LAKE CITY (Deseret News) — The U.S. House has passed a bill that would let St. George sell 40 acres of its existing airport to help pay for the construction of a new one.

The city is building a $160 million facility near the Arizona border. It's scheduled to open in January.

Democratic Rep. Jim Matheson included the provision in HR1586, a bill partly intended to improve the air traffic control system.

The city signed a deed to the 40 acres in 1973, saying that if the land ceased to be used for airport purposes, it would revert back to the federal government. The bill would free up the land.

The sale of the site that's more than 270 acres total could generate roughly $43 million. The Federal Aviation Administration has already pledged $129 million.

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