MATTOON -- A new building to house snow removal equipment at Coles County Memorial Airport is scheduled to be ready for use around the first of December.

The building is under construction at the east end of the airport's main grounds, just north of the facility's hangars, and is visible from Illinois Route 16.

The building has been in the plans for 20 years but construction waited until the county Airport Authority board could save the money to cover the $650,000 cost, airport Manager Andrew Fearn said.

That meant the Airport Authority didn't have to issue bonds or otherwise borrow money to pay for the project, he added. The board was also able to reduce its tax levy this year, he said.

Fearn said when the 6,400 square-foot building is completed, it will house all the airport's snow removal equipment, which consists of seven different vehicles.

That building is large enough to only house the truck used to spread sand during icy conditions, Fearn said. The vehicle has to be kept in a heated location to prevent the sand from freezing, he explained.

The new, larger building will mean it will be easier to start equipment with diesel engines in cold weather and to reduce time needed for snow and ice removal on the equipment before it's put in use, he added.

Any maintenance and repairs the equipment needs will also be able to take place in a heated location, Fearn also said.

Curry Construction of Mattoon is conducting the project.

Fearn said the airport created the savings account for the building six years ago. Before that, it was delayed to give priority to safety or federal compliance requirements, he said.

He added that the Airport Authority board adopted its annual property tax levy in August and reduced the figure by three-quarters of one percent.