Less than an hour’s drive north of Lubbock on Interstate 27, Plainview’s airport is getting federal help to replace a terminal that has sat empty for years.
The City of Plainview announced that the Plainview-Hale County Airport received a $1.5 million award from the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). The money will go toward a new terminal and toward aviation workforce training. The award was part of a list of EDA grants the Commerce Department announced Oct. 8, according to Construction Broadsheet. KCBD and FOX34 reported on Plainview’s award Oct. 21.
Where the money comes from
According to the city, the grant comes through the EDA’s Public Works and Economic Adjustment Assistance programs, which support economically distressed communities. The city said 10 cities across the country received awards.
The city says the airport qualified because of its plan to expand with a new terminal and an aviation training center. The city describes the overall effort as a $6.15 million investment. Local partners include:
- City of Plainview: $2 million
- Hale County: $2 million, through an interlocal agreement with the city
- Plainview ISD: a $2 million commitment
Those numbers don’t add up to the city’s stated total. The three local amounts plus the $1.5 million EDA award come to $7.5 million, not $6.15 million, and the announcement did not explain the difference. KCBD described the project as a “more than $6 million” investment. Clarification from the City of Plainview was not available at publication.
What local leaders are saying
Airport Manager Ryan Stevenson said in the city’s announcement that the project is meant “to attract more people and business to help the economic development of the City.”
City Manager Ted Chancellor thanked the EDA, TxDOT Aviation and the South Plains Association of Governments for helping move the project along.
“This is an exciting new chapter for PVW, as we look forward to providing modern terminal facilities for our pilots and visitors while creating a space for technical education and workforce training that will serve future generations,” Chancellor said in the release. PVW is the airport’s identifier code.
A second try that paid off
This is the city’s second attempt at the grant. The Plainview Herald reported in March 2025 that the City Council voted 5-0 to authorize a new application. According to the Herald, an earlier request for $2 million was turned down because the EDA had run out of funds, and the agency encouraged the city to reapply for $1.5 million.
The Herald’s Ellysa Harris reported at that time that the airport’s old terminal, on the southeast side of the field, had been vacant for a long time and was slated for demolition. John Tye of the airport board described the planned building to the Herald. He said it would serve as a visitor center with offices for a fixed-base operator, the business that fuels and services aircraft. It would also include a conference area and a restaurant.
The Herald also reported that the project builds on the airport’s 2015 master plan and that the airport has been reclassified from general aviation to regional. An advisory committee toured five airports for ideas, the Herald reported, including those in Dalhart; Enid, Oklahoma; Odessa; and Tradewind Airport in Amarillo. Mayor Charles Starnes was blunt at that 2025 meeting about how Plainview’s old terminal compared. “We look terrible,” he said, according to the Herald.
Those details come from 2025 reporting. The city’s new announcement did not say whether the building plans have changed since then.
Why it matters for the region
An airport terminal is often the first thing a visiting pilot or business traveler sees of a town. City leaders have said they hope a modern building will help attract people and business to Plainview. They also want a training center that serves “future generations” through technical education and workforce training.
Plainview ISD’s $2 million commitment suggests the training center could connect to local students, but the city’s announcement did not say which programs it will offer or when.
What we don’t know yet
The city’s announcement did not include a construction timeline, a groundbreaking date, or details on what the training center will teach. Hub City UnCovered will update this story when the city shares those details.
Comment from the City of Plainview on the project timeline and the training center was not available at publication.
Sources
- City of Plainview News Flash, “Plainview-Hale County Airport Awarded $1.5 Million”: https://www.plainviewtx.org/m/newsflash
- KCBD/FOX34 (Shelby Radford), “Plainview-Hale County Airport receives $1.5M federal award for new terminal” (Oct. 21, 2026): https://www.kcbd.com/2026/10/22/plainview-hale-county-airport-receives-15m-federal-award-new-terminal/
- Plainview Herald (Ellysa Harris), “City council authorizes grant application work” (March 28, 2025): https://www.myplainview.com/news/local/article/city-council-authorizes-grant-application-work-20242096.php; also distributed by Tribune News Service via AviationPros: https://www.aviationpros.com/airport-business/airport-infrastructure-operations/news/55278438/city-council-authorizes-grant-application-for-work-at-plainview-hale-county-airport
- Construction Broadsheet (Kim Slowey), “Commerce invests in regional development projects” (Oct. 8, 2026): https://theconstructionbroadsheet.com/commerce-invests-m-in-regional-development-projects-p2379-174.htm