Illinois Valley Regional Airport in Peru begins new construction

The Illinois Valley Regional Airport in Peru is expanding to fill increased demand and attract more businesses.

Director of Maintenance Chuck Studer said the airport has a multi-million dollar impact on the economy in the Illinois Valley.

“It allows businesses to bring people in and out of the area in a very efficient way,” Studer said. Because of the airport, businesses are able to develop in the area, which creates more jobs and greatly benefits the local economy.

Alderman Jim Lukosus of the Peru City Council said some of these businesses and factories would not have located here without the airport. Lukosus calls the airport a hidden asset for the city of Peru, generating out of town and local interest.

There are dozens of businesses that use the Illinois Valley Regional Airport. Some examples include Ace Hardware, Casey’s General Stores, Culver’s, Starved Rock and JP Chevrolet. Studer said the airport averages about 30 flights coming in and out each day.

One main update to the airport is the expansion of the taxiway, a project expected to be finished by this fall. Once finished, it will extend to the north end of the main runway. This is a safety improvement because it will eliminate the danger of inbound and outbound flights using the same runway. According to Studer, this is a $2 million dollar project that is 95% funded by the federal government.

Another main project is the expansion and addition of new hangars in order to house more aircrafts. The hangar for Marquis Energy, for example, is going to be expanded to double its size. To accommodate for this, Studer said the hangar next to it is going to be moved to a different part of the airport. Because this project needs more prep work, Studer expects construction to begin in the fall.

In the private and corporate section, Lukosus said there will be five additional hangers built. These hangars are used to house private aircrafts and aircrafts of businesses and corporations in the area. Construction is currently underway and will continue over the summer.

Once that project is complete, the space will be maxed out for the number of hangars it can hold. In the future, Studer said they hope to add more spaces for future hangars to be built in a different section of the airport.

According to Lukosus, the city is funding 10% of the overall costs for these projects and the rest is covered by the state and federal government. Peru City Council has approved all proposed updates to the airport so far.