The proposed expansion of Flying Cloud Airport has been a decades long process, fraught with legal wrangling, legal agreements, dust ups, and passionate voices on both sides.  But, this fall, the wait is over for those who might cheer or jeer at the airport expansion.

“They say good things come to those who wait, well, today I’m happy to say the waiting is over. The expansion is underway and I’m confident that many good things will result from it,” said Metropolitan Airports Commission Chairman Jack Lanners.

Lanners was on hand for the official groundbreaking ceremony for the airport expansion this Tuesday. Work will begin this year on extending the north parallel runway 300 feet west to 3,900 feet. Installation of sanitary sewer and water lines along Pioneer Trail is already occurring ongoing. Future projects also include improvements to hangar areas and the development of the hangar area on the south side of the airport. The expansion plan that has long been a source of controversy is the planned extension of the south parallel runway to 5,000 feet. That work is slated to occur in 2009 to the cost of $11.2 million.

The result of this work will be an airport that more efficiently accommodates aircraft already operating at flying cloud, fulfills the runway length needs of newer generation quieter, light and medium sized business jets, adds extra layer of safety and attracts jobs to region, said Lanners.

“We break ground on an improvement project that will make Flying Cloud an even more valuable regional asset in the years ahead,” he said.

Also in attendance was Eden Prairie Chamber of Commerce President Pat MulQueeny, who touted regional economic benefits from the airport.

“It goes beyond Eden Prairie and that is why other Chambers have supported this modernization plan and expansion for the airport,” he said.

Rick King, the City’s Chair of the Flying Cloud Airport Advisory Commission reflected on the benefits Eden Prairie has seen from the Final Agreement.

Back in 2002, the City of Eden Prairie and the MAC signed a Final Agreement, where the city agreed not to oppose the airport expansion. But the City also received a number of concessions out of that agreement noted King, during the groundbreaking.

That included access to ball fields,  parkland and trails that were part of the deal, he said. These things benefit thousands of Eden Prairie residents, he added.

In addition to those fields and trails, noise monitoring takes place, voluntary curfews, and an agreement not to expand the runway beyond 5000 feet, he said.

“The good news is both sides have kept their commitment.”

King also noted that some of the hangars in the airport are stuck in the 1950s. “Things change, the world moves on,” he noted. “Frankly, Flying Cloud didn’t.”

He said he has a vision where those hangars change a lot over the next few years and they’ll change because of the investments they’re doing.

 “It’s time to give Flying Cloud a facelift.”