Sarasota Bradenton International Airport Air Traffic Control Tower

The 128 foot-tall tower is a significant investment in our nation’s airport infrastructure and enhances air traffic controllers’ ability to provide the safest, most efficient service to flights at the busy Florida airport.

The design included site adaptations of a modified standard FAA Low Activity Level Tower with a 525 SF control cab and a base building following a standard floor plan for an FAA 9,000 SF administrative base building with a custom link.

The 10-sided polygon tower are integrated with the control cab. The tower floor level is 109 feet above ground level with precast concrete wall panels forming the building envelope.

Cast-in-place concrete, precast concrete, and steel frame structures were evaluated. Insulated sandwich-panel precast concrete was selected for cost, durability, wind and blast resistance, quality of finish, cost, and ease of construction.

For maximum visibility, the control cab was designed to incorporate only four columns and uses a butt-glazed cab window system. Insulated structural precast concrete panels were designed with interlocking edges to help ensure wind-driven rain would be kept out of the building during a major storm or hurricane.

The FAA, Sarasota Manatee Airport Authority (SMAA) and FDOT funded the $24.8 million facility under a unique agreement. The FAA invested $7.2 million in the new tower design, engineering and electronic equipment, which the agency installed and will maintain. SMAA funded $8.9 million for construction and it will own and maintain the building. FDOT also contributed $8.7 million for tower construction. The facility includes a 9,000-square-foot base building that houses equipment, administrative offices and training rooms. The new facility includes an updated voice communications system, radio transmitter and flight data processor, which controllers use to communicate with other FAA facilities and the airport.